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THE 


PRAC 

4 



CHRISTIAIV PE RF E C T I OlV; 

FROM 


TICE 


THE WORK OF RODRIGUEZ; 


V BY 
iV 


V 

THE REV. E. DAMPHOUX, D. D. 
•*' rj 

RECTOR OF THE CATHEDRAL. 


V 

f 


Thou shall be perfect, and without 

spot, before the Lord , thy God. 


DexU. xviii. 13. 


WITH THE APPROBATION OF THE MOST REV. ARCHBISHOP* 

* • 


♦ 

> 


BALTIMORE: 

PUBLISHED BY JOHN KENEDY, 

JxTo. \ 6, Maryland Arcade, Centre Market~Space. 


1834 . 






IW. ^ 


Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1833, by John 
Kbneot, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Maryland. 


12 1047 ■ 

M LI2ai;i df lIlH&ilESS 


PRINTED BY SAND.?,& NEILSON, 




1 -> > 

> . 

S. K. CORNICR OF CALVKRT AND MARKKT STREETS. 















The Practice of Christian Perfection, bj 
iiodriguez, is deservedly considered as the best 
work of one of the most celebrated of ascetic 
writers. -To point out tlie narrow path that 
leads to life/^^ and direct the pious safely 
through it, amid the difficulties which tliey en¬ 
counter in this land of pilgrimage, was the ob^ 
ject of the author—And the benefit derived by 
thousands and tens of thousands, from the perusal 
of his work, clearly demonstrates, that it is admi¬ 
rably calculated to produce ^is desirable effect 
in those who read it with proper dispositions. 

There is, however, one objection to this excel¬ 
lent production, in its original form, as a work of 
general use. As it was designed principally for 
Religious, a considerable portion of its contents 
is not immediately applicable to persons who live 
in the world. Not that to aim at perfection, is 
not a duty incumbent upon all, but because the 
practices, and tlie means to be used in order to 
attain it, are not the same for all. 

, It is therefore confidently expected^ that an 
abridgment of this masterly performance, will 
be useful and acceptable to the sincere and devout 
Christian, who, Mbatever may be his calling, 



IV. 


PREFACE. 


knows that he is bound to strive to enter by the 
narrow gate,’’^ and be perfect, as also his hea¬ 
venly father is perfect.^^f Even to the lukewarm 
and careless, it will prove highly beneficial; by 
affording them the best, perhaps, the only reme¬ 
dy that can impart to their souls that perfect 
health and vigor, which, they either have lost, or 
liave never experienced. For it will teach them 
the possibility, the nature, and the means of 
Christian Perfection, which they are accustomed 
to consider as things that do not concern them. 

In fact, whenever these nominal Christians 
compare the characteristic features of religion 
with the lives which they are leading, they can ¬ 
not help being struck with the alarming contrast 
that exists between them. They are candid 
enough to acknowledge the evil; but, unfortunate¬ 
ly, they seldom trace it to its real, and primary 
cause. They are apt to ascribe this criminal dis¬ 
crepancy, between their belief and their conduct, 
to external circumstances, or to such internal 
principles of depravity as they falsely deem im- 
])ossible for them to control: they ascribe it to the 
difficulties by which they are encompassed, the 
temptations to which they are exposed, the weak¬ 
ness and corruption of human nature; but these, 
however, are not so much the causes of their traus - 
gressions, as tlie means Avhich the enemy of ouv 
souls employs to multiply them. It is to the er¬ 
roneous notions they entertain about salvation, 
and the conditions upon which it is to be obtained, 
that their prevarications from their duties are to 
be attributed. Let them once understand, that 

♦Luke xiii. 24. fMat. v. 48. 


PREFACE. 


V. 


perfection is attainable in every condition and 
state of life ; that, to aspire to it, is an indispen¬ 
sable duty—they too, will be persuaded to desire 
it, and embrace the means by which it is to be 
acquired. It is true, in the beginning, they will 
meet with difficulties, apparently insuperable: 
the corruption of nature, the force of habit, the 
frowns of the world, will unite to retard their 
progress in the new course they are pursuing: 
they will have to put on the armour of God, 
that they may be able to resist in the evil day, 
and to stand perfect in all things.’^* But, ‘‘the 
God of all grace, who hath called them unto his 
eternal glory, when they have suffered a little, 
will himself perfect, and confirm, and establish 
them, t—Working in them that which is well¬ 
pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ: to 
whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen.’^J 


JHeb. xiii.21. 




Eph. vi. 13. 


fPet. V. 10. 











i 




/„■ , 

'W 



THE PRACTICE 


OP 

CHRISTIA1\ PERFECTIOPV. 

CHAPTER I. 

ON THE DESIRE OF PERFECTION, AND SEVERAL OTHER 
MEANS CONDUCIVE TO IT. 


SECT. I. 

The value we ought to set on spiritual things. 

“ I WISHED,” says the Wise Man, “ and understanding 
was given me; and I called upon God, and the spirit of 
wisdom came upon me; and I preferred her before king¬ 
doms and thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in compa¬ 
rison of her. Neither did I compare unto her any pre¬ 
cious stones; for all gold in comparison of her, is as a 
little sand; and silver in respect to her shall be counted 
as clay.”* The true wisdom, which we should all de¬ 
sire, is Christian Perfection—“ esteeming,” with St. Paul, 
“ all things to be but loss, for theexcellent knowledge of 
Jesus Christ—and counting them but as dung, that we 
may gain him.”t The degree to which this esteem of 
perfection and of all that may be conducive to it, will 
ascend in our hearts, will be the measure of our spiri¬ 
tual advancement, and the surest pledge of our perse¬ 
verance. The reason is, because we desire nothing 
but according to the estimation we hold in it; and our 
will being the absolute mistress that controls both the in- 

•Wiid. 7ii. 7. 8. 9. tPhilipiii.8. 




8 


THE PRACTICE OF 


terior and exterior faculties of our souls, we never exert 
ourselves for the attainment, or preservation of any thing, 
but according to the degree in which we esteem and de¬ 
sire it. In order, then, that we may earnestly desire our 
advancement in perfection, and diligently exert ourselves 
for its attainment, it is necessary that we should hold in 
high estimation whatever relates to it. 

The most valuable of all treasures is, to know, to 
love, and to serve God—this is our greatest, and, indeed, 
our only affair—the noble end for which we were creat¬ 
ed. “ Let not the wise man, glory in his wisdom—the 
strong man, in his strength—the rich man, in his riches ; 
but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he under- 
standeth, and knoweth me, saith the Lord.”^ 

What we value most in religious persons, says St. Ig¬ 
natius, is not depth of learning, nor great talents for 
preaching, nor any other natural or human endowment; 
but it is humility and obedience, a spirit of recollection 
and prayer. St. Dorotheus relates that, one day, as he 
was visiting the infirmary, his disciple Dositheus, who 
discharged the offipe of infirmarian with great zeal and as¬ 
siduity, told him: Father, I have a thought of vainglory, 
which tells me, that I do my duty perfectly well in this em¬ 
ployment; and methinks you ought to be well satisfied 
wfith me. But the answer of the good abbot gave a 
check to the presumption of his disciple: I allow, said 
St. Dorotheus, that you are a very good infirma¬ 
rian, and very careful; but I do not perceive, that you 
have, as yet, become a good Religious. Let every 
pne compare his conduct with that of this careful infir- 
■marian, and see if he is not in a similar predicament: an 
upright, honest, industrious man, perhaps a perfect gen¬ 
tleman ; but, 9^o^, as yet, a good Christian. It is this, how¬ 
ever, we ought to aim at, with the utmost diligence, and 
have constantly before our eyes. Indeed, all other things, 
ought to be looked upon as accessaries only, accord¬ 
ing to the words of our Saviour: “ Seek first the 


*Jerem. ix. 23. 24. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


9 


kingdom of God/and his justice, and all these things 
shall be added unto you.”^ 

Let us, therefore, neglect no opportunity of improv¬ 
ing ourselves in whatever relates to our spiritual ad¬ 
vancement : applying to our temporal affairs, and domes¬ 
tic concerns, without overlooking, in the slightest de¬ 
gree, our obligation of working out our salvation, and as¬ 
piring to perfection. We must hold it an infallible max¬ 
im, that the spiritual exercises conducive to our advance¬ 
ment in’piety will maintain us, and enable us to advance in 
virtue: and that if we become negligent in them, we shall 
soon feel our neglect prejudicial to us. We have but too 
often experienced, that the derangement of our interior 
proceeded from our growing cold in spiritual exercises. 
“My heart is withered,” says the Psalmist, “because I 
forgot to eat my bread.”t If the food of our souls is 
wanting, it is certain that we shall become very feeble, 
and languishing. St. Ignatius earnestly recommends this 
point: “ Let every one,” he says, “ be as exact as pos¬ 
sible in spending well the time appointed for prayer, me¬ 
ditation, and spiritual reading.” 

St. Basil says, that we ought to be very exact in giv¬ 
ing to Almighty God the time allotted for our spiritual ex¬ 
ercises : and that, whenever we have not had time 
to eat and sleep—in consequence of our being obliged 
to watch with a sick person, and to assist him in dying 
well—we take great care to refresh immediately our wea¬ 
ried bodies, and will be sure to find time for doing so; in 
like manner, in case we are hindered from saying our 
prayers or examining our conscience, at the usual hour, 
we must ardently desire to supply that omission, and to 
acquit ourselves of these duties as soon as we possibly 
can. 


*Mat. vi. S3. 


fPs. ci. 5, 


10 


THE PRACTICE OF 


SECT. II. 


IIow great our desire of Perfection should be. 

“ Blessed are they,” says the Gospel, “ that hunger and 
thirst after justice, foi^ they shall be filled.”* Though 
the word justice, is particularly applied to one of the four 
cardinal virtues, as distinct from the rest; nevertheless, 
it is very applicable to all virtues, and to sanctity in 
general. Whence it follows that it is not enough to have 
a weak desire of virtue and perfection, but we must hun¬ 
ger and thirst after it; so as to cry out with the royal 
prophet: “As the h^art panteth after the fountains of 
waters, so my soul panteth after thee, O God!”t This 
earnest desire of our spiritual advancement is so necessa¬ 
ry,—it should spring so immediately from the heart,—it 
should, without the aid of any thing else, impel us so for¬ 
cibly, that there are but little hopes of such as do not feel 
its impulse. The affair of Christian Perfection is not a 
business to be done by constraint; it is the heart that 
must undertake it. Speaking to the young man, men¬ 
tioned in the gospel, our Saviour tells him, “ If thou wilt 
be perfect ;”J in order to show us that an ardent desire 
of Perfection, is necessary to its attainment. The an¬ 
swer of St. Thomas of Aquin to one of his sisters is well 
adapted to the present subject. She asked him, how 
she should save her soul, he answered, “By willing it.” 
If you desire it, you will be saved ; if you desire it, you 
will make progress in virtue, you will render yourself 
perfect. All then, depends on our willing it—on our will¬ 
ing it seriously, and effectually—on exerting ourselves 
with all possible diligence to secure our salvation. For 
Almighty God is always ready to assist us. 

May we not appeal to yourselves for the truth of this 
assertion.? call to mind the days that are past: your fer¬ 
vour, your zeal, at certain happy periods of your life— 
at the time of your conversion, when you made your first 
communion, &c. Were not, then, prayer, meditation 


IPs. xli.2. 


fMatt. xix. 16. 21.. 


♦Mat. V. 6. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


11 


pious readings, the sacraments, your greatest consolation 
and comfort } Why were they ^ because, then, your mind 
was made, your determination taken and fixed, to save 
your souls, and please your God in alt things. So long 
as this fervor shall last, the performance of all religious 
duties will become easy; but this once cooled, they will 
seem painful and insupportable. What think you, is the 
reason, why the same man is, at one time, dejected and 
disgusted, and at another time, happy, and at ease, in 
the performance of his religious duties.^ Let him not 
attach the blame of this change to the duties themselves, 
but impute this inconstancy to himself, and to the little 
relish he has for virtue and mortification. A strong heal¬ 
thy man, says Father Avila, will, with ease, carry that 
burden, which a child or sick person cannot raise from 
the ground. It is only, then, from the different disposi¬ 
tions of our souls, that the difficulty springs. The duties 
are always the same. They seemed to us, for a time, so 
easy, that they cost us no trouble; and if they appear dif¬ 
ferent now, from what they were before, we are to blame 
ourselves, who, instead of making daily advances in vir¬ 
tue, have suffered that fervor to cool, which we once 
experienced. 

What renders this desire of our spiritual advance¬ 
ment so necessary, is, that it is one of the best disposi¬ 
tions, for obtaining from God the perfection we aim at. 
St. Ambrose says, that the Lord is so well pleased with 
the man, who feels this longing desire, that he fills his 
soul with graces and favors; and quotes these words of 
the blessed Virgin in her Canticle: “ He hath filled the 
hungry with good things.”* The royal prophet had said 
the same before: “ He hath satisfied the empty soul; and 
hath filled the hungry soul.”t 

But the truth of this maxim is still more clearly set 
forth by Solomon, who, speaking of wisdom, which is 
nothing else than God himself, says: “ Wisdom is easily 
seen by them that love her, and is found by them that 
seek her.”J She is at hand, the moment you wish for her. 

*Luke i. 53. fPs. cvi. 9. ^Wis. vi. 13. 


12 


THE PRACTICE OF 


“ He that awaketh early to seek her, shall not labour; 
for he shall find her sitting at his door.”* How infinite is 
the goodness and mercy of God ! Though you have de¬ 
layed to open your heart to him, and to comply with his 
inspirations, yet, he has not, on this account, gone away. 
He sits at the door till you open: “ He waiteth,” says I- 
saias,“ that he may show mercy to you.”t And certainly 
no friend is so eager to visit an intimate friend, as God is 
to visit our hearts. He longs much more to communicate 
himself, and grant his favors to us, than we long to re¬ 
ceive them. The only thing he requires of us, is, to hun¬ 
ger and thirst after them—“ To him that thirsteth I will 
give of the fountain of the water of life, gratis.”| “ If 
any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink.”§ One 
of the principal reasons, why we make so little progress 
in perfection is, because we do not desire, and long for it 
so earnestly, as we ought—we have some desires, it is 
true, but they are so weak and languid, that they vanish 
almost as soon as they are felt. 

St. Bonaventure says, that there are many who mean 
well, and who form the best resolutions; yet have not 
courage enough to offer violence to themselves, and to 
overcome themselves so far, as to carry these gcod reso¬ 
lutions into execution. These resolutions without effect, 
are mere velleities with which we may be pleased at 
times, but which will never produce a change in our con¬ 
duct. “ Desires,” says the Wise Man, “ kill the slothful: 
for his hands have refused to work at all.”|| Persons of 
this description are apt to fancy, while at their prayers, 
that they would do or suffer any thing for God; but on 
the first occasion that presents itself, after prayer, they 
behave in a manner quite different from what they had 
fancied to themselves. For, in fact, it was not a real de¬ 
sire, but a sort of dream they had at the time. By some 
they are compared to soldiers represented on the can¬ 
vass, who hold their swords over the enemy’s head, but 
never strike. Such persons pass all their life in wishes, 
and are surprised by death, before they perform any good 

•Wis. vi. 15. flsai. xxx. 18. JAp. xxi. 6. §John vii. 37. |[Prov.xxi. 25. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


18 


work. And then, they will not only derive no advantage 
from having had those good desires, but they will be se¬ 
verely punished for not having carried them into execu¬ 
tion. St. John says in the Apocalypse,* that he saw a 
woman in labor, and that there lay near her a horrible 
dragon, watching till she should be delivered, that he 
might devour the child. It is this the devil, with all his 
power, endeavors to do to us, whenever our soul has 
conceived a good design. We ought, therefore, to be very 
careful, to proceed as soon as we can, to the execution 
of any good resolution, we have formed. St. Bernard 
says, that the prophet Isaias meant the same thing, when 
he said, “If you seek, seek,”t that is, be not weary of 
desiring, be not weary of seeking; for true desires require 
fervor, and perseverance; they must be fervent, they 
must be efficacious, they must, in fine, be such as to ex¬ 
cite in us a continual care always to please God, more 
and more. 


SECT. III. 

The more we apply ourselves to Spiritual things, the more 
earnestly do we relish them. 

“They that eat me, shall yet h^unger; and they that 
drink me, shall yet thirst,says the Holy Ghost, speak¬ 
ing of wisdom. There is this difference between the 
pleasures of the body, and the pleasures of the soul, that 
we desire the former with great impatience, when we 
have them not; and when we possess them, we set but lit¬ 
tle value on them. The ambitious man, for instance, has no 
sooner obtained the object of his wishes, than he aspires 
to something new, and never rests satisfied with what 
he has. But it is not so in spiritual things. For when 
we have them not, we feel no relish for them; but if once 
we possess them, it is then we begin to know their 
value, and to set all our affections on them — the more 

*Chap. xii. 4. 

2 


flsai. xxi. 12. jEccl. xxiv. 29. 



14 


THE practice of 


we taste them, the more earnestly we seek after 
them. The reason of this difference, is, that the en¬ 
joyment of temporal goods unfolds to us their vanity and 
emptiness; so that, not finding in them the satisfaction 
we hoped for, we contemn what we possess; and, expect¬ 
ing to find in something else the content we seek after, 
we suffer ourselves to be carried away by new desires. 
But we still deceive ourselves—these new desires will 
meet the same fate as the others. For, as we are not 
made for this world, there is nothing in it that can fully 
satiate our appetite. But as to spiritual things, we never 
love and desire them so much as when we possess 
them; be'eause then, we best know their value. The 
more perfectly we possess them, the greater is our de¬ 
sire, and thirst after them. “ O! taste, and see,” says 
the Psalmist, “ that the Lord is sweet.” When once we 
begin to taste, and relish spiritual things, we shall soon 
experience such sweetness in them, as to render our de¬ 
sires insatiable. The more assiduously w'e apply our¬ 
selves to heavenly things: the more eagerly and fervent¬ 
ly, shall we wish to possess them: the more zealous shall 
we be in seeking after them. 

It is true, that it is only in heaven, we shall be per¬ 
fectly satisfied, according to these words of the royal 
Prophet: “ I shall be satisfied, when thy glory shall ap¬ 
pear.”* However, we shall, even then, be satisfied 
with the sight of God in such a manner as still to thirst 
after it; because, instead of giving us disgust, it will per¬ 
petually excite in us a new desire of seeing and enjoying 
him. In the Apocalypse, St. John, speaking of the bless¬ 
ed, who stood before the throne and before the Lamb, 
says, “ that they sung, as it were, a new canticle,”t to 
show us, that this heavenly song will always contain 
.something new, and will excite in us new joy, new de¬ 
light, and new admiration. It is just so With spiritual 
things here below; for, being an emanation from those 
above, they, in consequence, participate of their quali¬ 
ties and virtue. On the one hand, they satisfy and fill 


*Ps. xvi. 15. 


jChap. xiv. 3. 


CHllISTIAN PERFECTION. 


15 


our licarts: and on the other, they excite in us extreme 
hunger and thirst. The more we devote ourselves to 
them, the more we relish them *, and the more we enjoy 
them, the more we hunger, and thirst after them. 

What ought to urge us still more, arderitly to ap¬ 
ply ourselves to spiritual things, and to our advancement 
in perfection, is, that there can be no greater mark than 
this, of God’s dwelling in a soul, and of the good state it 
is in. St. Bernard says, that there is no more certain 
mark of God’s being present in a man’s heart, than his 
desire of still increasing in grace, and he proves it by 
the text already quoted; They that eat me shall yet 
hunger, and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.” If then 
you hunger and tliirst for heavenly things, rejoice: it is 
an evident sign that God dwells in your soul. It is he, 
who excites in you this hunger and thirst. 

St. Bernard trembled as often as he reflected on these 
words of the Holy Ghost uttered by the mouth of the 
wise man, “ Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of 
love, or hatred.”* “ This passage is terrible,” says he, 
‘‘and I shake with horror as often as I think on it.” 
If then this reflection made a great saint tremble, who 
was, as it were, a living pillar of the church, what ef¬ 
fect ought it not to have on us, who, on account of our 
sins, have so many causes of fear.I know, that with¬ 
out a particular revelation from God, we cannot have 
an infallible certainty that we are in the state of grace; 
yet, there are signs which give a moral probability of it: 
and the surest we can have, is to feel in our hearts an 
ardent desire of daily perfecting ourselves more and 
more in virtue. “ The path of the just, as a shining 
light,” says the Holy Ghost, in the book of Proverbs, 
“ goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day.”t 
The farther they proceed, the more they increase in vir¬ 
tue, and to use the words of St. Bernard, the just man 
never believes that he has fully performed his duty; he 
never says it is enough, but always hungers and thirsts 
after justice; so that if he w'ere to live here always, he 

tChap. iv. 18. 


*Bccl. ix. 1. 


16 


THE PEACTICE OF 


would perpetually strive to become more and more just, 
and perfect, and to advance always from good to 
better. Again it is written of the just, “ they shall go 
from virtue to virtue that is, they shall continually in¬ 
crease in fervor without stopping, till they ascend the 
height of perfection. But the way of the tepid, the 
imperfect, and the wicked, is like to the light of the 
evening, which, decreasing every moment, at length dis¬ 
appears, and leaves us in the darkness of night. “ The 
way of the wicked,” says the wise man, “ is darksome: 
they know not where they fall.”t They stumble, every 
step they take. Their confusion is so great, and their 
blindness so deplorable, that they see not their faults, 
and feel no remorse for them. On the contrary, judging 
of sins according to their fancy, they will not believe 
that to be a sin, which is so in reality; they will often 
think that sin to be but venial, which perhaps is mortal 
— nay, they are apt to consider it as a mere imperfection. 


SECT, IV. 

JVot to advance in Virtite, is to go back. 

It is a maxim received by all holy men, that, in the 
way of God, we certainly go back, if we do not advance. 
‘‘We cannot,” says St. Augustin, “prevent ourselves 
from descending, but by always striving to ascend; for 
as soon as we begin to stop, we descend : and not to ad¬ 
vance is to go back ; so that if we wish not to go back, 
we must always run forward without stopping.” St. Gre¬ 
gory, St. Chrysostom, St. Leo, and many other saints 
say the same, and express themselves, almost in the same 
terms. But St. Bernard enlarges on this subject in the 
following dialogue: “Well! will you not advance? — 

No. — What then ? will you go back ? — By no means._ 

What will you do then? —I will remain as I am, and 
grow neither better nor worse.—Then you will do what 

*Ps. Jxxxiii. 8. 


tProv. iv. 19. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


17 


is impossible, for in this life there can be no state of per¬ 
manency. This is a privilege appertaining to God alone, 
‘‘with wliom there is no change, nor shadow of vicissi¬ 
tude.*— I am the Lord,” says he, “ and I change not.”t 
But all things in this world, are subject to a perpetual 
change. “ All of them shall grow old like a garment,” 
says the royal Psalmist, “ and as a vesture, thou slialt 
change them; but thou art always the self-same, and 
thy years shall not fail.”J Man is particularly liable 
to changes and vicissitudes: “ he fleeth as a shadow, 
and never continueth in the same state.§” Holy Scripture 
tells us, that Jacob saw a ladder reaching from earth to 
heaven, on the top of which Almighty God leaned, and 
that it was full of angels ascending and descending per¬ 
petually, without ever resting.!! Now, according to St. 
Bernard, this is to show us, that in the way of virtue, 
there is no medium between ascending and descending, 
betw^een advancing and going back. Cassian illustrates 
this by the following comparison, w^hich is also used by 
St. Gregory: “ Those w^ho lead a spiritual life,” he says, 
“are like a man in the midst of a rapid river: if he stops 
but for a moment, and strives not continually to bear up 
against the stream, he wdll run great risk of being car¬ 
ried down.” Now', the course we ought to take is so 
directly opposite to the bent of our nature, corrupted 
by sin, that unless W'e labor, and force ourselves to go 
on, we shall certainly be hurried back, by the impetuous 
torrent of our passions. 

To explain this the more clearly, St. Chrysostom uses 
several familiar comparisons: if a servant, says he, were 
not a thief nor a drunkard, nor a gamester, but trusty, 
sober, and without vice; yet should idle his time, sitting 
down all day, without performing the duties of his state, 
there is no doubt, but he w^ould deserve to be severely 
punished; for though he did no positive harm, yet, it 
w’ould be fault enough, to neglect w'hat he ought to do. 
Again, if a husbandman, though exceedingly well behaved 
in every other respect, should nevertheless remain idle, 

♦James i. n. fMal. iii. 6. j;Ps. ci. 28- §Jobxiv.2. yGen. xxviii. 12. 


18 


THE PRACTICE OF 


and neither plough nor sow, it is certain, though he did 
no other harm, he would, on this account alone, be culpa¬ 
ble ; for it is fault enough, to neglect one’s duty. In fine, 
if one of our hands would give us no pain, but were pa¬ 
ralysed, and absolutely of no use to us, should we not 
consider that circumstance alone, to be a great misfor¬ 
tune? It is just so in spiritual matters. If a Christian, 
who is bound, not only to believe in Christ, but to em¬ 
brace his doctrine, and follow his example, remains idle, 
and makes no effort to advance in virtue, he is much to 
be blamed ; because he fulfils not the obligations of his 
profession. To conclude — what greater fault can we 
find w'ith land, than that it is barren and bears no crop, 
though it has been well tilled? In the same manner, if 
your soul, cultivated by so many good instructions, wa¬ 
tered by frequent showers of heavenly graces, and warm¬ 
ed by the rays of the sun of justice, produces no fruit, 
but remains dry, and barren — will you not think that 
dryness and barrenness a great misfortune to yourself? 

Another comparison is also made use of, which strong¬ 
ly confirms what has been already said. As sailors dread 
nothing so much as a calm, because then they consume 
all their provisions, and afterwards find themselves in 
want of the necessaries of life: so there is nothing more 
to be dreaded, by those who navigate the tempestuous 
sea of this world, and steer towards heaven, than an un¬ 
happy calm, which stops them in the midst of their 
course, and prevents them from making sail. The small 
provision they had laid in for their voyage, is soon con¬ 
sumed ; the little virtue they had, begins to fail them; 
and afterwards, amidst the storms and temptations which 
assail them on all sides, they find themselves destitute of 
all help, and in the greatest danger ofperishing. — Wo to 
such as are surprised by a calm so dangerous ! “You 
did once run well,” says the Apostle, “ who hindered 
you, that you should not obey the truth?”* You went at 
first, in full sail — what calm, or sand-bank has stopped 
you ? Perhaps you fancy you have done enough, and 


‘Gal. V. 7. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


19 


think yourself entitled to repose. But reflect and consid¬ 
er well, that you have still a great way to go: be per¬ 
suaded that many occasions will still offer, in which 
you will have need of more humility, more patience, ab¬ 
solute detachment, and constant mortification ; and that 
you may find yourself unprovided, at the time of your 
greatest danger. 


SECT. V. 

To forget the good we may have done, and continually 
think on what we are deficient in — to aim at what is 
most perfect, and — not to neglect little things, are ex¬ 
cellent means of obtaining Perfection. 

I. “He that is just, let him be justified still; and he 
that is holy, let him be sanctified still.”* St. Jerom tells 
us that our Saviour in saying, Blessed are they that 
hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be filled,” 
w ished to teach us, that we must never think we are just 
enough, but always aspire to greater perfection. To 
this effect, St. Paul proposes to us an excellent means, he 
himself had made use of. “ Brethren,” says he, “ I do 
not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I 
do: forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching 
forth myself to those that are before, I pursue tow'ards 
the mark, for the prize of the supernal vocation of God, 
in Christ Jesus.f’ He believes not that he has attained 
perfection, but endeavors all he possibly can, to acquire 
it: he forgets all he has done, and only looks to w^hat he 
is deficient in. All the saints have earnestly recom¬ 
mended this means. St. Basil and St. Jerom teach, that, 
he is truly happy, who advances daily, and who never 
thinks on what he did yesterday, but what he has to do 
to day, in order to make new progress. 

St. Gregory and St. Bernard descend to particulars, 
and say that the means prescribed by St. Paul, consists 
of two parts. The first is, to forget the good we have 


*Apoc. xxii. II. 


fPhil. iii. 13. 14. 



20 


THE PRACTICE OF 


done, and never to look back to it. And, indeed, we stand 
much in need of this warning; for it is natural to take 
pleasure in looking at our improvement, and the good 
we have done; and, on the contrary, feeling it painful to 
think on our spiritual wants and poverty, to forget them. 
'I'his, however, is extremely dangerous: we, thereby, 
wnll readily yield to vain glory, preferring ourselves to 
others; we will not endeavor to ascend, believing our¬ 
selves already arrived at a high degree of perfection. 
We will become remiss, careless, negligent, and bring 
on our spiritual ruin. Pride, the esteem of ourselves, 
and contempt of others, will be the result of such a con¬ 
duct : and the loss of many, once zealous and fervent, can 
be traced to no other source. “ Thou sayest, I am rich” 
in good works, “I have need of nothing — and thou 
knowest not, that thou art wretched, and miserable, and 
poor, and blind.”* 

The second part of the means taught by St. Paul to 
arrive at Christian perfection, consists in thinking seri¬ 
ously on what we have, as yet, to do in order to accom¬ 
plish this great undertaking — in having our eyes fixed 
on what we are deficient in, that we may be encouraged 
to attain it. St. Gregory explains this by several familiar 
comparisons: A man, he says, who owes a thous- 
ana crowns, does not think his debt discharged by his 
having paid three or four hundred, but reflects on what 
he is still to pay, and cannot be at ease till he has fully 
satisfied his creditor; so we, who are deeply indebted to 
Almighty God, ought not to reckon upon what w^e have 
paid, but always consider what w^e are still to pay in or¬ 
der to satisfy the debt that remains, and apply ourselves, 
continually, to find out the means of doing so. Again : 
When a man undertakes a journey to any place, it avails 
him nothing to have gone a great w^ay, unless he contin¬ 
ues to go on till he comes to his Journey’s end, because 
it is only at his arrival there, he can expect the recom¬ 
pense of all his labor., 

Nor ought W'e to fear lest opportunities should ever be 
*Apoc. iii. n. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


21 


wanting to us, in the pursuit of this laudable undei taking. 
Our heavenly Father, whose “will is our sanctification,”* 
will place within our reach all the means necessary for 
us “ to be perfect, as also he is perfect.” Let us take 
care to make good use of these means. “Never lose 
any degree of perfection,” says St. Ignatius,which, by 
the mercy of God, it is our power to attain.” Suffer 
nothing to escape, without endeavoring to derive some 
advantage from it. An angry word is said to you; you 
are asked to do something against your w'ill; an oppor¬ 
tunity of humbling yourself is offered—from all these 
things, if made proper use of, you will derive considera¬ 
ble advantage. As a merchant never lies down with 
more satisfaction, than the day in which he has made 
several good and advantageous bargains : so a Christian 
ought never to go to bed with more comfort, than the 
day he met with many occasions of practising self-denial, 
humility, and patience. A merchant is no ways troubled 
at the losses of another, nor is he angry with him upon 
this account, but thinks on his own particular gain: in 
like manner, a Christian ought never examine whether 
another did well or ill, in giving him the displeasure, or 
the mortification he received, nor be angry with him for 
it; but he ought to rejoice at the particular advantage he 
may derive therefrom. If we acted in this manner, we 
would not so readily lose our peace of mind, when others 
are angry with us, hurt our feelings, or wound our pride. 

II. It will contribute greatly to our spiritual a Ivance- 
ment, to propose to ourselves, and aim at what is most 
perfect. “ Be zealous for the better gifts — I yet show 
to you a more excellent way.”t This means is, without 
doubt, of very great importance; for our desires must ne¬ 
cessarily rise high, if we wish to elevate our actions to 
that perfection, with which even our indispensable du¬ 
ties should be performed. This may be easily explain¬ 
ed by a familiar comparison: when your bow is too fee¬ 
bly bent, you will never be able to hit the mark, unless 
you aim considerably higher; because the looseness of 

fl Cor. xii. 31. 


*1 Thess. iv. 3. 


22 


THE PRACTICE OF 


the string gives to the arrow a downward direction. It 
is precisely so with us. Our nature is weak, and we 
aie so enfeebled by the evil habits we have contracted, 
that we must take'our aim considerably higher than the 
mark, if we wish to reach it. Man is become so weak 
by sin, that to attain an ordinary degree of virtue, his 
thoughts and desires must rise much higher. You will 
say, All I propose, is to avoid mortal sin : this is the only 
perfection 1 aspire to. But how do you know that you 
can accomplish even that much. It is to be feared, that 
you will not reach this point; for the string is slack. Per¬ 
haps you would have reached it, had you directed your 
thoughts higher; but not having done so, it is probable 
you will never reach it. The man who purposes to avoid 
uot only mortal, but also venial sins, and even the least 
miperfections (as much as he can), adopts a good means 
of not falling into mortal sin; because he takes his aim 
considerably higher: and though his frailty should hinder 
him, at times, from strictly adhering to his pious resolu¬ 
tions ; yet he is not likely ever to become guilty of any 
grievous transgression of the law of his God. But he, 
whose object is only to avoid mortal sin, will, soon or 
late, fall into it. Hence you may easily infer, how great¬ 
ly mistaken those persons are, who think themselves safe, 
whilst they make little or no effort, to shun venial sins, 
and are unwilling to correct their many imperfections. 

When Almighty God gave the ten commandments, he 
placed the greatest and most perfect of them, at the head 
of all the others: “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 
with thy whole heart,”* Slc. This is the end for which 
all the rest were given; and the excellence of this com¬ 
mandment is such, that the Fathers and divines are of 
opinion, it is only in the next life we shall be able to ful¬ 
fil it perfectly. However, though this commandment is 
the consummation of all the rest, yet God wished it should 
stand at the head of them all, that, at first sight, we may 
know what we ought to aspire to, and how far we must 
endeavor to advance. “ Why,” says St. Austin, “ are 


*Luke, X. 27. 


CHEISTIAN PERFECTION. 


23 


we commanded to love God with all our heart, which is 
a command we cannot fully perform in this life? — It is 
because a man never runs well, if he knows not how far 
he has to go.” Almighty God has set immediately be¬ 
fore our eyes the greatest of all commandments, that, aim¬ 
ing at an object so sublime, at perfection so complete, we 
may constantly endeavor to reach it; and, if through 
weakness, we are unable to do so; at least, the higher we 
aim, the nearer shall we approach it. 

“ The just man’s heart,” says St. Jerom, “ is always 
towering, and the sinner’s heart is perpetually sinking.” 
The just man has his eyes continually raised to the most 
sublime virtue; he aspires to perfection ; and it is this, 
he constantly thinks on. But no thought is less present 
to the mind of sinners, and imperfect men, who, in num¬ 
ber, far exceed the just and perfect: For many are call¬ 
ed,” says our Saviour, “but few chosen.* — Wide is 
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruc¬ 
tion ; and many there are who enter by it. How narrow 
is the gate, and strait is the way, which leadeth to life, 
and few there are who find it !”t By this kind of lan¬ 
guage,—‘ it is enough for me to live as others do — if I be 
saved, it is sufficient— I aspire to no greater perfectioii,’ 
a man, says Gerson, plainly manifests the imperfect, 
and bad state of his own interior. He adds: Per¬ 
sons who, through sloth and tepidity, think it sufficient 
to obtain the lowest seat in Heaven, have great reason to 
fear that they will be condemned with the foolish virgins, 
who fell asleep without having made any provision: or 
with the negligent servant, who buried the talent he had 
received, and took no pains to improve it. He was cast 
into exterior darkness, and we read not in the gospel, that 
he was condemned for any thing else, than for having 
neglected the talent his master had intrusted him with. 

The same Gerson illustrates this truth, by the follow¬ 
ing comparison: Imagine to yourself a father who has 
many children, equally qualified to promote the inter¬ 
ests and honor of the family; suppose that all apply 


*Mat. XX. 16. 


tMat. vii. 13. 


24 


THE Practice of 


with zeal and perseverance to their respective duties, 
except one, who leads an idle, unprofitable life: his father 
calls upon him, exhorts, and entreats him, to adopt no¬ 
bler sentiments; reminds him of his good qualities, pro¬ 
poses to him the example of his ancestors, and of his 
brothers; but, notwithstanding all he does, he cannot 
prevail on him to rise out of his sloth, and to lead an ac¬ 
tive life — will not this good father conceive a just in¬ 
dignation against his son? It is the same with God. 
We all are his children, and brothers of Jesus Christ. 
He would not have us content ourselves with an idle 
life, but exhorts us to perfection: “ Be you, there¬ 
fore, perfect, as also your heavenly father is perfect.”* 
Show by your actions that you are the children of such 
a father: look to Jesus Christ, his beloved son, and your 
brother, “who left you his example, that you should fol¬ 
low his steps.”! But, if so exalted a sanctity disconcerts 
you, look to the saints, who were as weak as you are ; 
born in sin as you were; subject to passions, temptations, 
and evil inclinations, as you are. They fought against 
them constantly : they conquered, and obtained a crown 
of glory. Our mother the Church, proposes their ex¬ 
amples to you, and celebrates their feasts, in order to 
encourage you to imitate them on earth, whilst they pray 
for you in heaven. 

But some will say: Why recommend the highest de¬ 
gree of virtue to weak persons, who are, as yet, novices 
in spiritual matters ? This sublime perfection, you pro¬ 
pose to us, was fit only for such saints as God chose to raise 
to the highest degree of glory in heaven — To these per¬ 
sons I answer: You are exceedingly mistaken in this 
point; for this exhortation is better adapted to you than 
to them; and ought to be addressed to you, for the very 
reason you allege against it: because you are weak, I 
must propose to you the most perfect kind of virtue and 
devotion, that by aiming at what is best, you may be 
able to perform, at least, what is of strict obligation. 
Let me therefore exhort you, often to read the lives of 


*Mat. V. 48. 


fl. Pet. ii. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


25 


the saints, and to observe the virtues in which they ex¬ 
celled. By this means, you will be roused from your 
sloth and spiritual lethargy, and if you have not the cou¬ 
rage to imitate them in all things, you will, at least, find 
motives to humble yourselves, and give thanks to God, 
who raised them to so eminent a sanctity. 

III. ‘‘He that contemneth small things, shall fall by 
little and little.”* The doctrine contained in these words, 
is of great importance to all persons, especially to those 
who aspire to perfection: for we are exact in the per¬ 
formance of great things, as they carry with them 
their own recommendation; but it is very usual with us 
to be careless in small things, as we fancy they are of no 
consequence. In this, however, we deceive ourselves. 
To convince us of this truth, and oblige us to be watch¬ 
ful, it ought to be sufficient that the Holy Ghost him¬ 
self says so; but, a knowledge of the human heart, of the 
force of habit, and daily experience, make it sensible and 
obvious. Good and evil, generally speaking, insinuate 
themselves and grow insensibly in us. The same happens 
in spiritual as in corporal diseases; both the one and 
the other increase by little and little. None ever fall on a 
sudden into any enormous sin, after having for a longtime 
led an innocent and virtuous life. But they begin by being 
negligent in those duties which they consider as unim¬ 
portant, then their devotion grows cold, and diminishes 
daily, more and more: so that, at length, they fall under 
the first great temptation that attacks them. 

Cassian explains this by a comparison taken from 
scripture: Houses, he says, fall not to ruin on a sudden, 
but the damage first begins by some gutter being out of 
repair, and neglected, through which the rain happens, 
by degrees, to rot the timber that sustains the building; in 
process of time, penetrates the wall, dissolves the ce¬ 
ment, and at last undermines the very foundation, so that 
the whole edifice tumbles to the ground. “ By slothful¬ 
ness,” says Ecclesiastes, ‘‘a building shall be brought 
down, and through weakness of hands, the rain shall drop 

*Eccl. xix. 1. 

3 


26 


THE PRACTICE OF 


through.”* It is just so with us : a certain natural incii' 
nation which we have to evil, first flatters our senses, 
then gains ground, insinuates itself into our souls, 
shakes the firmness of our good resolutions, and, at last, 
so weakens and undermines the whole foundation of our 
piety, that the entire spiritual edifice falls in a moment. 
A little care and vigilance in the beginning might have 
easily prevented the growth of the evil; but because we 
neglected it, when it \vas but small, it at last overcame us. 
All this happens by the'artifice of the devil, who dares 
not attack those who serve God, by tempting them, in 
the beginning, to omit things essential, but begins with 
those that seem to be of little consequence, and thus 
insinuates himself, as it were, by little and little, in¬ 
to our souls, before we are aware of it. It is for this 
reason that St. Gregory says, that small faults are 
in some manner more dangerous than great ones;'be¬ 
cause great faults, as soon as we reflect on them, carry 
such horror along with them, as obliges us to endeavour 
to arise speedily after we have fallen, and to be very cir¬ 
cumspect in avoiding tliem for the future. But the less we 
perceive small faults, the less we avoid them ; and mak¬ 
ing no account of them, we fall so often, that, at last, wc 
acquire such a habit of them, as we seldom or never are 
able to eradicate; so that the evil which, at first, seemed 
nothing, becomes, by our neglect and frequent relapses, 
almost incurable. St. Chrysostom speaks thus on this 
subject: I dare advance a proposition, he says, wdiich w'ill 
appear strange and unheard of. It seems to me that men 
ought to be less vigilant in shunning great sins, than in 
avoiding small faults; lor the enormity of great sins natu¬ 
rally excites in us a horror of them, but we are easily in¬ 
duced to commit little faults, because we fancy them not 
to be considerable; and tlie little account we make of 
them, preventing us from endeavouring to correct them, 
tiiey become, at last, so great by our negligence, that we 
are no longer able generously to resist and overcome 
them. 


Chap. X. 18. 


CHRISTIAN PERFFXTION. 


27 


It matters not, says St. Austin, whether the ship 
be sent to the bottom by one great wave, or whether the 
water entering gradually by the chinks, and being ne¬ 
glected to be pumped, at length sinks the vessel. There¬ 
fore, when a ship begins to leak, we must immediately 
pump, in order to get the water out, and prevent her from 
sinking; so also must we, by fervent prayer and a strict 
examination of our conscience, continually endeavour to 
root outofour heart whatever imperfection had found its 
way into it, which, if neglected, would at last cause our 
ruin. 

Another very cogent reason why we should apply our¬ 
selves, with great care and attention, to the smallest things 
conducive to our perfection, is, that if we neglect to do 
so, it is to be feared that God will refuse us those special 
graces, for the want of which we shall be exposed to great 
danger. Whilst, on the contrary, he is always pleased 
to pour his blessings in greater abundance, on those who 
are faithful to him in all things: nor does he confine him¬ 
self to that general assistance, which is sufficient to resist 
temptations; but he bestows on them special and effica¬ 
cious graces, whereby they always triumph over the as¬ 
saults of the devil. Butif you are not liberal towards God, 
how can you expect he should be so towards you.^ if 
5x11 offer your gifts to him, with a parsimonious hand, 
must you not expect that he will treat you in the same 
manner.? — If you are afraid of doing too much for him, 
if you always hold the compass in hand, to measure what 
you are bound to do, under pain of sin, and examine whe¬ 
ther the omission be mortal, or only venial, you oblige 
him to be more sparing of his blessings towards you. 

You are aware, says St. Chrysostom, that we have 
an irreconcileable cnem^g from whom we must expect 
neither peace, nor truce; so that, if we wish not to be 
overcome, we must stand continually upon our guard. 
And what shall we do, not only to jirevent ourselves from 
being overcome, but even to defeat tlie enemy.? Would 
you know it.? says the saint: the only means we have 


28 


THE PRACTICE OF 


to vanquish him, is to merit the assistance of heaven, by 
the purity, and innocence of our lives : it is thus, we shall 
be always victorious. Remark the saint’s expression; 
he does not say, it is the best; but, it is the only means, 
whereby we shall be victorious. Hence, the ivise man 
tells us, that “ He who feareth God, neglecteth nothing.”* 
Because he knows that from the slightest faults, we fall, 
by little and little, into great crimes, and he is afraid, that 
if he deals not liberally w ith God — God will cease to deal 
liberally with him. 

To conclude, 1 say that this point is so essential, that 
we ought to hold it as a general maxim, that, as long as 
we consider the smallest things in devotion, as matters of 
great importance, all will go w^ell wdth us. But, on the 
contrary, if we neglect them, we shall expose ourselves 
to great danger. This is what our blessed Saviour inti¬ 
mated, when he said : ‘‘ He that is faithful in that which 
is least, is faithful also in that wdiich is greater — And he 
that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust also in that 
which is greater.”! 


SECT. VI. 

Other means of obtaining Christian Perfectioyi^ viz. — To 
attend to particulars — To put in execution our good re¬ 
solutions—JVever to commit any fault deliberatelybut 
keep up the fervor of devotion in our hearts — To imi¬ 
tate the most virtuous., and show good example to all. 

I. The masters of a spiritual life tell us, that one of 
the means most conducive to our advancement, is, not to 
content ourselves with applying to it in a general man¬ 
ner, but that we must descend to particulars. Although 
the chief business of a Christian is to work out his salva¬ 
tion, nevertheless, it will not be sufficient for him to un¬ 
dertake it in general, saying: I intend to save my soul; 
1 wish to become religious; but he must consider, in parti- 


•*Eccl. vii. 19. 


■fLuke xvi. 10. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


29 


cular, what vice or passion chiefly opposes his advance¬ 
ment, what virtue he stands most in need of. It is upon 
these two points he must continually exercise himself; so 
that, advancing gradually, and reflecting with attention, 
sometimes on one action, sometimes on another, he may 
at last attain the perlection he desires. 

II. The chief obstacle to our advancement in virtue, 
and to our receiving new graces from God, is our nut put¬ 
ting into execution the good desires, with which he in¬ 
spires us. The longer we refrain from making good use 
of the graces God has given us, the longer he defers to 
give us new ones : and the more we endeavour to put in 
practice the good inspirations, which he sends us, the 
more he is inclined to bestow on us his heavenly gifts. 
Father Avila says, that he who makes good use of the 
lights which God has given him, will receive additional 
ones; but that he who neglects to make good use of those 
already received, can have no pretensions to ask for oth¬ 
ers ; for he may be justly answered: Why do you desire 
to know the will of God, when you do not accomplish it 
in those things, wherein you already know it? If you 
do not put in practice the good desires which he gives 
you, how can you expect that he will confer on you 
greater favors ? With what confidence can you entreat 
him in your prayers, to bestow on you such a gift, which 
you stand in need of, if you omit to amend those faults, 
which, by his holy inspirations, he has so often reminded 
you to correct ? The parable of the nobleman,* who 
called his servants and divided amongst them his money, 
that they might trade during his absence; and, at bis re¬ 
turn, appointed them governors of as many cities as they 
had gained talents, plainly shows us what we are to ex¬ 
pect from Almighty God, if we make a good use of his 
gifts. This nobleman was pleased to recompense the 
fidelity and industry of his servants, with great liberali¬ 
ty ; so God, if we faithfully correspond with the inspira¬ 
tions which he sends us, will shower down his graces 
and blessings on us, in abundance. But on the other hand^ 

*Luke, ch. xix. 


30 


THE PRACTICE OP 


if we do not diligently follow the motions of grace, we 
will not only be deprived of what we have received, but 
we will be severely punished, as the unprofitable serv¬ 
ant was, who did not lay out to advantage the talent he 
had received. 

It is said of Apelles, that, in whatsoever business he 
might be engaged, he never let a day pass without exer¬ 
cising himself in his own profession, by painting some¬ 
thing or other. For this favourite art, he always 
would find out some time amidst his other employments; 
and to excuse himself from going into company, he 
would say : This day I have not as yet drawn one 
stroke with my pencil. In like manner, let no day pass 
without making some advancement in virtue; practise, 
daily, some act of mortification, and correct some fault 
you were accustomed to commit. When you examine 
your conscience, at noon, and perceive that you have 
done nothing that morning conducive to your improve¬ 
ment, that you have mortified yourself in nothing, that 
you have performed no act of humility, when occasions 
offered themselves; believe that you have lost so much 
time, and make a firm resolution not to let the remaining 
part of the day pass in the same manner. Renew your 
examination, at night, with regard to the forenoon : and 
you will find it impossible to observe this rule, without 
gradually advancing, and making, in a short time, con¬ 
siderable progress in tlie way of perfection. 

III. In order to attain perfection, it is of the utmost 
importance never to commit any fault deliberately. There 
are two sorts of venial sins: one, into which those who 
fear God most, will fall, through frailty, ignorance, and 
inadvertence—although there is, generally, some negli-. 
gence mixed with these frailties. They who serve God 
faithfully and with an upright heart, should find in these 
faults rather a subject of humiliation than of affliction: for 
God will not on that account abandon them, but on the 
contrary, will afford them his divine grace, and animate 
them with fresh courage, when, upon these occasions, they 
humbly address themselves to him. There is another 


CHRISTIAN PEKFECTION. 


31 


species of venial sins, into which they who are cold and 
remiss in the service of God fall, wilfully, and deliberate¬ 
ly. These faults are a very great obstacle to those gra¬ 
ces, which God in his infinite goodness would have be¬ 
stowed on us, if we had not committed them. They are 
also the cause why we find no comfort or satisfaction in 
prayer, and why God ceases to impart to us those s})ir- 
itual consolations and favors, which he was accustomed 
to bestow. So that, if we intend to advance in Christian 
perfection, we must be very careful never to commit a 
wilful, or deliberate fault. Those we daily commit, 
through ignorance or inadvertence, are but too many, 
without adding greater ones to them. 

St. Basil prescribes anotfier means which, he says, will, 
in a short time, contribute very much to our advancement 
in perfection. It is, never to stop in tlie pursuit of vir¬ 
tue. There are men, who are sometimes seized, as it 
were, with momentary fits of zeal and devotion, but stop 
short on a sudden, and go no farther. Be sure not to im¬ 
itate these, but advance constantly on your way, and re¬ 
member, that, in your spiritual career, you will become 
more weary by halting, than if you continue your journey. 

St. Ambrose says, that, as it is far easier to preserve 
our innocence, than to repent truly: so it is easier to 
persevere in the fervor of devotion, than to recover it, 
after a short discontinuance. We ought to be extremely 
cautious, never to suffer the fire of our devotion to be ex¬ 
tinguished: for if the heart once grows cold, and begins 
to harden, we shall find it extremely difficult to warm, 
and soften it again. We find by experience, that men 
far advanced in virtue, if they once begin to grow remiss, 
and discontinue their exercises of piety, lose in a few 
days, what they had been a long time acquiring. They, 
on the contrary, who persevere, with fervor, in their de¬ 
votions and spiritual exercises, not only remain with ease 
in that degree of perfection they have already attained ; 
but, acquiring new strength by their continued exertions, 
they perform, with great facility, the most difficult under- 


32 


THE PUACTICE OF 


takings, and daily advance more and more in virtue. 
Thus both the one and tlie other verify in themselves the 
saying of the wise man : “The slothful hand hath wrought 
poverty; but the hand of the industrious gelteth riches.”* 

iV. The saints remark that to consider attentively the 
lives of the most perfect, and pi opose them to ourselves 
as models for our imitation, is a practice greatly condu¬ 
cive to our spiritual advancement. St. Anthony says: As 
the bee extracts from every flower its most pure and ex¬ 
quisite substance to make honey ; so a religious ought to 
observe every man in his community, and learn from one 
modesty, from another silence, from a third fervor, from 
a fourth obedience and resignation; in fine, he ought to 
imitate what he finds most commendable in each, and en¬ 
deavour to conform, in all things, to the proposed model. 
The same must be recommended to persons who live in 
the world ; for although “ the charity of many hath grown 
cold,”t there still can be found, in every profession, ex¬ 
amples of piety, and true devotion, worthy the imitation 
of the most zealous and fervent. This laudable disposi¬ 
tion, to look to the virtuous and pious, and endeavour to 
imitate them, would be both a cause of humility, a pow¬ 
erful stimulus to Perfection, and a source of peace and 
happiness in society. Charillus, king of Lacedemon, be¬ 
ing asked what sort of republic he considered to be the 
best: That, said he, wherein the citizens live with¬ 
out strife or sedition, and strive, with emulation, who shall 
become most virtuous. 

Whilst we endeavour to follow the examples of the most 
virtuous, we ought to take great care to edify others by 
our owu) conduct. “ Let your light,” says our Divine 
Master, “ so shine before men, that they may see your 
good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”^ 
Every one sufficiently knows the force of good example. 
Men are much more affeeted by what they see, than by 
what they hear; and being easily convinced that a 
thing is practicable, when they see another perform it, 
they are strongly encouraged to undertake it. 

*Prov. X. 4. |Mat. xxiv. 12. Jib. v. 16. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


S3 


The saints of God have understood the secret, and felt 
the magic of great examples — St Bernard declares, that 
when he entered into religion, the very sight of some re¬ 
ligious, who were full of zeal and charity, nay, even the 
remembrance of them, when they were absent or dead, 
imparted so much comfort and joy to him, and so deeply 
impressed him with sentiments of tenderness for God, 
that oftentimes tears fell from liis eyes in great abun¬ 
dance. The memory of Josias,” says holy Scripture, 
“is like the composition of a sweet smell, made by the 
art of a perfumer.”* Such were the good religious of 
whom St. Bernard speaks, and such ought we all to en¬ 
deavour to become, whatever may be our vocation : in 
the highest, as well as in the lowest class of society : whe¬ 
ther we associate with the good, or are compelled to live 
among the wicked. “ We are the good odour of Christ 
in them who are saved, and in them who perish.f Hav¬ 
ing our conversation good among the Gentiles, that — 
considering us by our good works — they may glori¬ 
fy God, in the day of visitation.”! 


SECT. VII. 

The same subject continued — To remember the zeal toe 
experienced^ at the beginning of our conversion — To 
bear in mind the motives which then animated us — To 
think on the dignity of our origin, as children of God. 

I. An ancient religious asking Abbot Agatho, how he 
should behave himself in Religion, the good abbot an¬ 
swered him. That he should remember how he had be¬ 
haved himself the first day he had left the world, and was 
received into the convent; and that he should continue to 
do still, as he had done then. In like manner, every one 
will do well, often to call to mind what his sentiments and 
dispositions were, when he first resolved upon leading a 
Christian life: and either forsook Ins evil ways, by a 


*Eccl. ixl. 1, 


t2 Cor. ii. 15. Pet. ii. xii. 



34 


THE PRACTICE OF 


sincere conversion, or understood the necessity and hap¬ 
piness of serving God, and loving him above all tilings. 
Both the young and old, by taking a retrospective 
view of their past life, will, generally speaking, be able 
to recollect a time, when they were careful, perhaps fer¬ 
vent, in the discharge of their religious duties; when “ to 
shun evil and do good,” was the constant object of 
their zealous endeavours. Let them call to mind those 
happy days, and reflect, that the motives which urged 
them then, are no less cogent, in the present time; that 
virtue has not lost its attractions and its charms, nor vice 
its deformit}’^ and awful consequences, nor IJell its tires, 
nor Heaven its joys, nor God his claims upon them. By 
these considerations, they will be led to experience a sa¬ 
lutary sham^ at their present carelessness and indiffer¬ 
ence, and resolve to resume their former works, with 
such zeal and fervor as may secure their perseverance. 

Not only will you find it useful thus to think on the 
zeal and devotion which you felt, when you first began to 
serve God ; but you will also derive great benefit by act¬ 
ing, every day, as if you just began. By following 
this method, you will not be satisfied, merely, with not 
having abated in that fervor, which you experienced, at 
first; but you will endeavour continually to increase it, 
by applying yourself, daily,, to gain and lay up new trea¬ 
sures for heaven, as if hitherto you had gathered noth¬ 
ing. 

II. Another means, wdiich may assist us much in ac¬ 
quiring perfection, is that made use of by St. Bernard 
himself. He had always in his thoughts, says the author 
of his life, and often would ask himself: Bernard, Ber¬ 
nard! for what purpose didst thou come hither.? Flow’ 
appropriate this question would be to those, who, though 
they have not been called to live in a monastery, yet have 
once led a religious life ! — who, “ finding no repose,” no 
peace, in the pleasures the w^orld could afford, ^‘entered 
the ways of life,” and fixed their abode ‘Gn the inherit¬ 
ance of the Lord !” One might ask himself. What 
were my intentions, when, after making a general confes- 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


35 


sion of my past life, I forsook the paths of vice, and be¬ 
gan to relish and practise virtue? Another will say; 
What had I in view, when 1 renounced that criminal 
course of iniquity, in which I was once involved ? when I 
was reconciled to my enemies ? when I restored ill-gotten' 
goods? &c. A third will put himself the question: 
What did I mean, when, justly alarmed at the conside¬ 
ration of my daily neglects and habitual carelessness, 1 , 
-at last, resolved upon devoting myself entirely, and with¬ 
out reserve to the service of my God ?—was it not that I 
should persevere ? and, ‘‘ by perseverance, obtain the 
crown of life?” 

Those, who through a peculiar mercy of God, not 
granted to many, have been converted to the true 1‘aith, 
will find in sucli interrogations a powerful stimulus to the 
practice of every Christian virtue, and even to the high¬ 
est degree of Perfection. Why, a. convert will ask 
himself, did I renounce the errors in which I had been 
educated, and profess truths, which I had been taught to 
regard as impositions and fables ?— It was, doubtless, be¬ 
cause I Avas convinced that this change was necessary; 
for ‘‘ without faith it is impossible to please Godand, 
“ he who believeth not, is already condemned.” Out of 
the church there was no salvation for me — I entered it. 
But, without piety, and the love of God, I should not be 
V saved, even ivithin the pale of the Church — therefore, 
I must “ labour the more, that by good works I may 
make sure my vocation and election — that I may join 
with my faith, virtue; and with virtue, knowledge; and 
Avith knoAvledge, abstinence; and Avith abstinence, pa¬ 
tience ; and Avith patience, piety.”* 

III. “ Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is per¬ 
fect.”! St. Cyprian, commenting on this passage says: 
If men feel great pleasure in seeing their children re¬ 
semble them ; how mucb greater joy Avill our eternal Fa¬ 
ther feel, Avhen Ave are so happily regenerated in spirit, 
that by all our actions, and by our good behaviour, Ave 
are knoAvn to be truly his children ? For it is truly his 

fMat. V. 48. 


*2 Pet. i. 


36 


THE PRACTICE OF 


glory, to have children who resemble him, in such a man¬ 
ner, that by them he may be honored, known, and glo¬ 
rified. But how will it be possible for us to become 
like to our heavenly Father.^ St. Austin tells us, in 
these words: Let us remember, he writes, that the 
more just we become, and the more united with God’s 
will, the better we shall resemble him; and that the more 
holy, and the more perfect we are, the greater resem¬ 
blance we shall have to our heavenly Father. 

In the holy scriptures we are often reminded of this 
our heavenly origin : ‘‘ 1 will be your father, and ye shall 
be my children.* Be ye the followers of God, as his 
most dear children.f Dearly beloved, we are now 
the sons of God—when he shall appear, we shall be like 
to him—every man that hath this hope in him, sanctifieth 
himself, as he also is holy.’^J This glorious and endear¬ 
ing title of children of God should induce us to take 
great care to preserve our hearts pure, and never dege¬ 
nerate from the noble and high sentimentsj with which 
that great dignity ought to inspire us. St. Leo says, to 
the same purpose: Consider, O Christian! what thy 
dignity is; and seeing thou art made partaker of the di¬ 
vine nature, suffer not thyself to fall back into thy an¬ 
cient baseness, by attaching thyself too much to the 
things of this life; reflect on that head and body, of 
which thou hast the honor to be a member. 


SECT. VIII. 

Perseverance in the practice of Virtue. 

Many begin well, says St. Jerom, but few end 
well. Of this we have a great example in the Israel¬ 
ites. Holy Scripture states,§ that there w^ent out of 
Egypt about six hundred thousand, besides women 
and children; and that of that great number, two only 

♦Passim in the Prophets. fEph. v. 1. John, iii. 2. 3. 

§Exod. xii. 37. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


37 


entered the land of promise. It will avail us nothing to 
have begun well, unless we also end well. In Chris¬ 
tians, says St. Jerom, we consider not how they begin, 
but how they end: St. Paul began ill, but ended well; 
Judas began well, but ended ill. What .did it avail 
the latter to have been an apostle of Jesus Christ, and 
wrought miracles ? It is to perseverance only, that the 
crown is promised : “ He that shall persevere to the 
end,” says the Son of God, “ shall be saved:”* Jacob 
saw Almighty God, not at the foot, nor in the middle, 
but at the top of the ladder; to teach us, says St. Je¬ 
rom, that it is not enough to begin well, nor yet to con¬ 
tinue to do well for a time, but, that we must hold on, and 
persevere to the end. What docs it avail, says St. Ber¬ 
nard, to follow Jesus Christ, unless we overtake him 
at lastTherefore, St. Paul bids us ‘‘run so, that, at 
last, we may gain the prize.”t Let thy race, O Chris¬ 
tian ! and thy progress in virtue, have no other bounds, 
than those which Christ prescribed to himself: he ren¬ 
dered himself obedient “ even unto death.” It is in vain 
for you to run, unless you continue your race to the last 
moment of your life. Without this, you will never ob¬ 
tain the prize. 

But to the end that we may obtain God’s grace, to 
persevere in doing good, we must strive to lay, at first, a 
good foundation of virtue, and mortification; for if the 
foundation be weak, the building will, soon or late, fall 
to the ground. That fruit, into which the worm once 
crept, never ripens, but falls from the tree; whilst that, 
which is sound, sticks fast to the branch, till it is perfect¬ 
ly ripe : in the same manner, if your virtue be not solid, 
if your heart do not wholly belong to God, if you still 
cherish the worm of presumption, pride, inipatience, 
or any other irregular passion; that worm will by de¬ 
grees corrupt your heart—You will fall from God’s 
grace, and be eternally lost. 

Albertus Magnus, explaining how we ought to con¬ 
firm ourselves in virtue, to be the better able to perse- 

*Mat. xxiv. 13. fl Cor. vi. 24. 

4 


3S 


THE PRACTICE OF 


persevere, says, that a true Christian ought to have it S0 
firmly rooted in his heart, that it may be always in hi^ 
power to practise it, independently of what others may 
say, or do to him. 

There are persons who seem to have the spirit of 
peace and humility, so long as nothing thwarts them, and 
all things happen as they wis-h; but, upon the least cross 
accident that occurs, this peace vanishes, and they pre¬ 
sently take fire, and discover what they are. Such men 
as these, says Albertus, have not the virtues of peace and 
humility in their own, but in other men’s minds and hu¬ 
mors : so that if your virtue be such as this, it belongs 
to others, and not to you; since it lies in their power to 
give, or take it from you, whenever they please. But 
your virtue, if it be true, must be your own, and always 
at your own disposal, without any dependance upon ano¬ 
ther. We may compare such persons to stagnant water^ 
which yields no bad smell, so long as you do not trou¬ 
ble it: but disturb it once, and it sends forth intolerable 
vapors, and noxious exhalations. In like manner, let 
these persons alone; they will be mild and peaceable: 
but if any one speaks against them, if their feelings are 
hurt, they will be disturbed, and show their temper and 
ill-humor, to the great discredit of piety, and, perhaps, 
the scandal of religion. 


SECT. IX. 


The dispositions requisite to derive advantage from ser* 
mons^ and other religious instructions. 

The sermons, and other religious instructions, which 
we have an opportunity to hear every Sunday, and some¬ 
times oftener, are a most efficient means of promoting 
our spiritual advancement, and for the abuse of which 
we shall have to give a strict account to God. To 
avoid this evil, let us take care, in the first place, not to 
fo hear a sermon, merely because it is part of a 
Christian’s duty to do so; but with a true and earnest de- 



CimtSTlAIil PERFECTION. 


39 


s^re of improving thereby. St. Chrysostom observes, 
that as hunger is a sign of the body’s being in good liealth, 
■so a longing desire of being nourished with the word of 
God, is a certain sign of a good and happy disposition of 
the soul. But, if one does not thirst after the divine 
word, and finds no taste in it—it is a certain sign that he is 
■sick; and that his soul is in a very dangerous condition; 
since it loathes that food, which is so proper for its 
nourishment. Besides, though it were only to hear 
the preacher speak of Almighty God, that alone should 
suffice to make us run joyfully to hear him; for, natural¬ 
ly, a man is glad to hear another speak well of one he 
loves, “ He that is of God,” says our Divine Master, 
*4ieareth the words of God—You hear them not, be¬ 
cause you are not of God.”* 

In the second place, to improve ourselves by tbe ser¬ 
mons we hear, we must not hear them with a spirit of cu¬ 
riosity; and merely, to observe the good language, 
the graceful action and pronunciation, the beauty of the 
thoughts of the preacher, &c. This criminal disposition 
is the cause, why many profit so little by hearing ser¬ 
mons. We should attend to the substance of the dis¬ 
course, the instructions, and important truths it contains. 
Holy Scripture tells us, that when Esdrasf read the law 
of God to the people of Israel, they were all so moved, 
that reflecting upon their past lives, they wept most 
bitterly, when they compared their actions with that 
divine law, wdiich ought to have been their rule, 
and which was delivered to them for that end; inso¬ 
much, that the Levites felt it extremely difficult to sup¬ 
press their sighing. It is after this manner, we ought to 
hear sermons: with a wholesome and profitable confu¬ 
sion for our faults; comparing our lives with the doctrine 
we hear preached ; examining the difference there is be‘- 
tvveen what we are, and what we ought to be; consider¬ 
ing, in fine, how far we are from the perfection proposed 
to us to practise. 

The third disposition I wish to recommend, is, not to 


♦John, viii. 47. 


t2 Esd. c. Tiii. 


40 


THE PRACTICE OF 


go to church with a view to hear something new, or ex¬ 
traordinary. The great truths of religion, the fundamental 
maxims of salvation, are adapted to all capacities, plain 
and convincing of themselves ; they require no borrowed 
ornament, to be pleasing and consoling; no effort of im¬ 
agination, to be understood, and relished. The class of 
readers for whom this treatise on Christian Perfection is 
intended, knows them well enough ; but they forget them, 
they neglect to practise them; and therefore, their object 
in attending to religious instructions ought to be, to hear 
them again, to think and meditate on them, and make 
them the rule of their conduct. St. Austin remarks very 
judiciously, that the understanding is quick and ready, 
but the will is slow. Whence follows the necessity of 
dwelling often upon the same subject, until we have deep¬ 
ly impressed it upon our minds, and reduced it to prac¬ 
tice. 

In the fourth place, it will be of very great profit, if 
whatever is said in exhortations, be received by us as par¬ 
ticularly said to ourselves. An ancient preacher,'speak- 
ing on this subject, addressed himself to his congregation 
in the following language: “ You are like those whose 
employment is to carve at great men’s tables, and help 
others, without taking any meat for themselves. When 
you hear me say this, you cry out: An excellent reflection 
indeed, and very proper for such a one ! this is quite a- 
dapted to one of my acquaintance! if such a one were 
here, oh! how it would answer him !—and, notwithstand¬ 
ing, after all this carving for others, you keep nothing for 
yourself. I would have you all to be guests, and not mere 
carvers.” Coarse as this simile is, it conveys plainly an 
important truth, and is indeed applicable to many. A 
man of sense will praise every wise word he shall hear, 
and will apply it to himself.”* Let us take this for our 
rule, and take care not to be like those of whom our 
Lord says that ‘‘ they see a mote in their brother’s eye, 
and see not a beam in their own eye.”f If there 
should be nothing in what is said, that concerned you, at 

*Eccl. xxi. 18. fMat. vii. 3. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


41 


present, yet, neglect not to hoard it up in your mind, for 
the future; perhaps you will soon stand in need of it. By 
this means, you will turn every thing that is said to your 
advantage, and you will derive a real benefit from it, ei¬ 
ther for your amendment, or your greater perfection. 

In the fifth place, we ought to be convinced that the 
word of God, being the spiritual food of the soul, we 
should be careful to endeavour to remember something 
in particular, every time we hear it preached, and lay it 
up in our hearts, that we may derive from it strength and 
resolution, when the time comes, that it will be necessa¬ 
ry to put it in practice. “ The seed that fell on the good 
ground, are they who, in a good and perfect heart, hear¬ 
ing the word of God keep it—and bring forth fruit, in pa¬ 
tience.”*—“ Thy words have I hidden in my heart, that 
I may not sin against thee.”t 

Having heard sermons and other religious instructions, 
with these holy dispositions, let us finally have recourse 
to prayer, that we may obtain God’s grace to keep, and 
fulfil our resolutions. Let us be “ doers of the word, and 
not hearers only—deceiving ourselves.”^ “For, not 
the hearers of the law are just before God ; but the do¬ 
ers of the law, shall be justified.”§ 

*Luke, viii. 15. fPs.cxviii.il. JJames, i. 22. §Rom. ii. 13. 


4 # 


CHAPTER II. 


ON THE PERFECTION OF OUR ORDINARY ACTIONS. 


SECT. I. 

The importance of performing well our ordinary actions. 

It is not sufficient for our advancement and perfection, 
that we do good things, but we must do them well. 
St. Jerom understanding that St. Paulinus praised him 
for living in the place where our Saviour Jesus Christ 
accomplished the mysteries of our redemption, wrote thus 
to him: Not the living in Jerusalem, but the living well 
in Jerusalem, is a subject worthy of praise. This an¬ 
swer became afterwards a proverb amongst the religious, 
and showed them that it was not sufficient for their sal¬ 
vation to live in a monastery, and that neither the place, 
nor the habit, but purityj and sanctity of life, make a 
true religious. In like manner, the reading of good books, 
prayers, the reception of the sacraments, works of mer¬ 
cy and charity, sufferings, hardships, and labor, will 
not, of themselves, sanctify us; but the good, of which 
they are calculated and intended to be the source, de¬ 
pends upon the manner in which we behave ourselves 
in them. Thus, to pray with attention and devotion, 
to approach the sacraments with due preparation, to 
assist the poor, visit the sick, &c. through motives of 
charity,'and without ostentation or pride; in other words, 
to do all those things, and the like, well — is pleasing to 
God, useful and meritorious for us. Nay, the spiritual 
benefit we derive from them, is commensurate to the fer- 




CHRISTIAN perfection. 43 

vor, and purity of intention with which we perform 
them. 

The son of God tells us, in the parable of the sower, 
that the seed which was sown in good ground, in one 
place rendered thirty, in another sixty, and an another a 
hundred-fold.* By this, as the saints expound it, our 
Saviour would point out three different degrees of vir¬ 
tue, in those who serve God; that is to say, those that 
begin, those that have made some progress, and those 
that are arrived at the height of perfection. Many there 
are who externally do the same things, perform the same 
exercises of piety, and apply to the same good works ; 
but what difference in the fruit they reap from them } 
In some, they produce a hundred-fold, because they per¬ 
form them with an extreme fervor of spirit, and a very 
great purity of intention; and these are such as are per¬ 
fect. In others, they render sixty; and these are they 
who advance in the way, but are not as yet arrived at 
perfection. And others reap but thirty for one, and these 
are beginners only, in God’s service. Let every one 
therefore, see at which of these degrees he is arrived: 
are you not amongst those who render only thirty¬ 
fold ^ And God forbid that any one of us should find him¬ 
self in the number of those of whom St. Paul says, that 
“ they build upon a good foundation with wood, hay, and 
stubble—to burn in the day of the Lord.”t Take care, 
therefore, not to do your duty out of human respect, 
to please men or to gain their esteem; for this were 
to make a building of wood or straw% to burn, at least, 
in purgatory. But endeavour to perform all your ac¬ 
tions with the greatest perfection and purest intention you 
are able; and thus, you will, as St. Paul speaks, erect 
a structure of “gold, silver, and precious stones.” 

Nor is it necessary that these actions should be great, 
extraordinary^ or heroic : the most simple and ordinary 
of our duties as Christians, and according to our state of 
life and profession, are’to be the ground-work of our per¬ 
fection. A consideration which should be, at once, a great 

tlCor.iii. 12. 


*Mat. xiii. 8. 23. 


44 


THE PRACTICE OF 


comfort and encouragement to us. If indeed we could 
not attain perfection but by the exercise of some great 
employments, by extraordinary elevations of the soul, and 
by sublime meditations, we might have something to 
plead for our excuse—we might allege our incapacity 
and inability to soar so high. Were it required of you to 
discipline yourself daily to blood, to fast on bread and 
water, to go bare-footed, and to wear a perpetual hair¬ 
cloth : you might answer that you have not strength suffi¬ 
cient to undergo these mortifications. But it is not this 
that is asked of you ; it is not this, upon which your per¬ 
fection depends : it consists in fulfilling the obligations of 
your calling, faithfully; in doing well, what you, now, do 
carelessly, through habit, and, as it were, mechanically. 
Those Christians, who, by the mercy of God, are already 
regular in the observance of their duties, may reach per¬ 
fection without doing any thing more than what they ge¬ 
nerally do; but, by doing it well. To them we may say, 
in the words of Moses to the Israelites: ‘‘The com¬ 
mandment, that I command thee, this day, is not above 
thee, nor far off from thee—but the word is very nigh un¬ 
to thee— that thou mayest do it.”* The Greeks, says 
Anthony, who devoted themselves to the study of wis¬ 
dom, undertook great voyages, both by sea and land, un¬ 
derwent great labors and hardships, and exposed them¬ 
selves to very great dangers to attain it. But you, to ac¬ 
quire virtue, which is true wisdom, are not obliged to go 
so far, nor to expose yourselves to so great dangers; you 
need not even go out of yonr own house, for there you 
will find it; nay, “thekingdom of God is within you.”t 
Do well, what your duty requires of you: be humble, pa¬ 
tient, charitable, resigned, &c. as circumstances present 
themselves to practise these virtues. For such is the 
Perfection which God expects from you. 


♦Deut. XXX. 11. 


tLuke, xvii. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


45 


SECT. II. 

In \chat the goodness and perfection of our actions consist 
—JMeans to help us to do them well. 

I. Let us now see in what the goodness of our actions 
consists, that thereby we may better know the means of 
performing them well. I say, it consists in two things, 
of which the first and chief is, that we act purely for 
God. For, the goodness and perfection of man consist 
not in the exterior, but in what lies inwardly hid : All 
the glory of the king’s daughter is within.”* It is this, 
which is pleasing in God’s sight; “for man seeth 
those things that appear,” said God to Samuel, “but the 
Lord beholdeth the heart.”t He sees with what inten¬ 
tion, every one performs each of his actions. The inten¬ 
tion is the foundation of the goodness of all that we do. 
The foundations are not seen, and yet, they alone sustain 
the whole edifice — our intention also does the same. 

II. The first means, therefore, to perform our ac¬ 
tions well* is to perform them purely for God: with a 
sincere desire to please him, and do his holy will. The 
thought, that we act for God, will animate us to make ev¬ 
ery possible effort to do each of our actions, with all the 
perfection of which it is susceptible. 

The second means, which the saints propose, as most 
efficacious, is, always to walk in God’s presence, to bear 
in mind that he sees us, hears us, knows our thoughts,our 
designs, and our intentions — We shall resume this subject 
hereafter, and treat, at large, of the excellence and prac¬ 
tice of this means of Perfection — At present, it will suf¬ 
fice to add, that the thought of the presence of God, 
which w'e ought always to have before our eyes, and 
which holy scripture and the saints recommend to us, 
should make us take great care to do all our actions so, 
that they may be fit to appear in his sight, and may contain 
nothing unworthy of his divine majesty. By this means, 
as many saints have affirmed, we will be able to fulfil the 
precept of “ Praying always.” They pray always, says 


*Ps. xliv. 14. 


f 1 Kingfs, xvi. 7. 


46 


THE PRACTICE OE 


St. Hilary, who always perform their actions to please, 
and glorify God, whereby they make their life a perpe¬ 
tual prayer. St. Jerom, writing upon this verse of the 
psalmist, “ Sun and moon, praise ye the Lord, and let 
the light and all the stars praise him,”* asks how the sun 
and moon, the light and stars, can praise God, and an¬ 
swers : By never failing to do their duty, and by contin¬ 
ually complying with those obligations God imposed up¬ 
on them at the moment of their creation; for, by this 
continual service, they give to God a continual praise. 
Thus, whosoever acquits himself well of his charge, and 
performs well the most ordinary actions, to which his 
profession obliges him, praises God always, and exer¬ 
cises continual prayer. Whence we may easily infer of 
how great perfection it is to perform our ordinary ac¬ 
tions well: because thereby we multiply our prayers, 
we walk always in God’s presence, and we offer a con¬ 
tinual sacrifice, which is pleasing to him, and profitable 
to us. 

The third means of doing our actions" well, is, to 
do each one, as if it were the only one we had to do— 
to say our prayers, to read religious books, to study, to 
do our work, &c. as if we had nothing else to attend to. 
Let nothing hurry us—let us not be disturbed in what 
we are doing—let us not suffer one action to clash with 
another; but let us apply ourselves totally to what we 
are engaged in. Whilst we are at our prayers, let us 
not think of any thing else; not even of the duties of our 
office, or employment. Those thoughts tend only to di¬ 
vert our attention from God, and from what we are 
praying for. “ All things have their time let us 
not lose the peace of our soul, and even the necessary 
presence of mind, by vain, and dangerous apprehensions 
of evils, which may, but perhaps, will never come. “ Suf¬ 
ficient for the day is the evil thereof.”t In like manner, 
the attention and application required to do well what we 
are doing actually, are enough to engage all our thoughts, 
at that time, without anticipating that which must be donQ 

*P)3. cxlviii, 3, 


tMatt. vi. 34 


CHUISTIAK PEaFECTlON. 


47 


afterwards. This conduct is so conformable to reason, 
that the pagans themselves made use of it, to keep them¬ 
selves with more respect before their false gods and 
idols; which gave rise to the social proverb: “ Let those 
sit that adore.” Let those that adore God, dp it with at¬ 
tention, and not run about, as if they were thinking of 
something else. Plutarch speaking of the reverence with 
which priests, in his time, approached their gods, says, 
that whilst the priest offered sacrifice, there was one ap¬ 
pointed to cry out continually, with a loud voice, ‘‘ Do 
what you doas if he would have said, think of noth¬ 
ing else but what you are doing. Let us do what we 
are about at present, said Aristippus, without think¬ 
ing of what is either past, or to come; and let us apply 
ourselves wholly to the present action; because it is that 
alone, which is in our power: what is to come, is uncer¬ 
tain, and we cannot answer, whether it will happen, or 
not. 

How happy should we be, if we could gain so much 
upon ourselves, and were so perfectly masters of our 
thoughts and imagination, that we never thought of any 
thing, but w^hat we are about at present! But then, so 
unsteady is our heart—besides, so crafty and industrious 
is the devil to avail himself of our natural levity, that, 
when we are employed about any thing, he sets before 
our eyes what we should do at another time, in order to 
distract our minds, and divert us from doing what we 
are engaged in at present. If he can only take away our 
attention from w'hat we are about, he ceases not to sug¬ 
gest a thousand excellent means of performing, after¬ 
wards, our other actions well. But, when we come to do 
them, he will not fail to set others before our eyes, that 
we may not acquit ourselves so well of what we shall then 
be about; endeavouring, after this manner, continually to 
deceive us, and to render all our actions imperfect. But 
since “we are not ignorant of his thoughts,”* let us lay 
aside future affairs, and reject them as soon as they pre¬ 
sent themselves. It wdll be good to think of them, in their 
due time ; but it is bad to do so, when we ought to be ta- 


Cor. ii.ll. 


48 


THE PRACTICE OF 


ken up with other thoughts. But if the fear of not being 
able to think afterwards of those thjngs, which now pre¬ 
sent themselves to your imagination, causes you to dwell 
upon them; that very circumstance ought to show you, 
that it is not an inspiration from God, but a temptation of 
the devil. For God is a friend to peace, and order; 
and therefore, whatever troubles your repose, and inter¬ 
rupts the order of things, comes not from God, but from 
the devil, who loves only confusion and disorder. Ban¬ 
ish, therefore, whatever presents itself to your imagina¬ 
tion, under this pretence. Be not diverted from what 
you are doing, and assure yourself that God will not 
fail to put you in mind, in due time, of the thoughts 
which you will have before banished for his sake. 

Another means to perform our actions well, is to do 
them as if each one were to be the last we are to per¬ 
form. When you are about to do any thing, says St. 
Bernard, ask yourself this question: Were you to die 
presently, would you do this } And St. Basil gives us 
the same counsel, when he says: Have always your 
last hour before your eyes: when you rise in the morn¬ 
ing, doubt whether you shall live till night; and when 
you go to bed at night, do not assure yourself that you 
shall live till the next morning; and, in this manner, it 
will be very easy for you to correct all your vices. If we 
could put ourselves into this disposition of mind ; and do 
every thing, as if we were to die as soon as we had done 
it, we should perform our actions after a far different 
manner, and with far greater perfection than we do. Thus, 
with what fervor would we prepare for confession, or 
communion, if we thought it was the last time we are to 
receive those sacraments ? What attention and zeal 
should we not have at our prayers, if we were persuaded 
they were to be our last, and that we should never have 
any more time to ask God pardon for our sins, and im¬ 
plore his mercy ? 

It is reported of a holy religious, that his superior see¬ 
ing him in great danger of death, acquainted him with it, 
and advised him to confess, as if he were presently to die: 
God be praised, said the sick man, lifting up his eyes 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


49 


and hands to heaven, for these thirty years I have al¬ 
ways made my confession, as if I were to die the next 
moment. It is after this manner we ought to perform all 
our actions. If we remain faithful to this practice, death 
will never find us unprepared. 

One of the best means, to know whether we walk 
uprightly before God, is, to examine whether, in the 
condition we are in, and in the very action we are about, 
we should be -willing to be surprised by death. For my 
part, when I reflect on'this subject, if I find that, at this 
very moment^ and in the very action I am doing, 1 should 
not fear death, I am satisfied; and relying on God’s 
goodness, I live happy, and contented. But, if I should 
not wish to die in my present state and occupation, but 
should wish my death to be deferred for some time, till 
the things, which take up my thoughts at present, and 
hinder me from my duty, are over: I take this for 
an evident sign, that I am not as solicitous as 1 ought to 
be, about my spiritual advancement — and I begin to fear 
for my salvation. For, as Thomas-a-Kempis says. If 
you had a good conscience you would not fear death; be¬ 
cause it is sin, and not death, which we ought to dread. 
Therefore, since you fear it so much, it is a sign that 
your conscience reproaches you with something, and 
that your accounts with God are not in a good state. A 
steward who has his accounts in good order, desires no¬ 
thing more than to give them up: but he, whose accounts 
are not in order, is always afraid lest he should be called 
upon^ and thinks of nothing but how to gain time, and 
defer giving them up, as long as he can. 

Let every one examine himself frequently on this 
point; and, if he finds he is not in the state in which he 
would wish to be, when he comes to die, let him do what 
he would wish then, to have done. Remembering, that, 
happy is he, who is such during his life, as he desires to 
be at the hour of his death. 

It is true, we may repent before we die, and be con¬ 
verted ; but,. He who has promised pardon, says St. 
Gregory, to those that repent, has not promised a next 
day for repentance, to those who sin — We generally 


50 


THE PRACTICE OP 


say that there is nothing more certain than death, and 
nothing more uncertain than the hour in which it will 
happen — “ Be ready, for at what hour you think not, the 
Son of Man will come.”"^ “ The day of tlie Lord shall 
so come as a thief in the night — when they shall say, 
peace and security, then shall sudden destruction come 
upon them.”t 

The saints hereupon observe, that it is a very great 
mercy of God that the hour of death should he uncertain, 
to the end that we might always be prepared for it: The 
last day is unknown, says St. Austin, in order that w'e 
may be ready every day. Moreov^er, this uncertainty, 
as St. Bonaventure remarks, detaches us from temporal 
things; for, knowing that we may lose them, when we 
least expect it, we are not apt to set much value on 
them. “ Thou fool!” said the Lord to the rich covetous 
man, “this night, do they require thy soul of thee: and 
whose shall these things be, which thou hast provided 
One of the temptations the devil most commonly makes 
use of to deceive the greatest sinners, is, to hide from 
them so clear a truth as this, to divert their thoughts 
from it, and to make them believe that they will have time 
for all — that, one day or other, they will mend their 
liv^es, and be reconciled with their maker. And, not only 
they, but many, who have not entirely given up the care 
of their salvation, are retarded in their progress towards 
Christian perfection, hy similar temptations: they remain 
careless in complying with their religious and spiritual 
duties, upon the false pretence, that, in the present time, 
they are not able to do so, as well as they fancy they will, 
at some future period. Those Christians, because they 
have not the same opportunities of doing good, that they 
might have, do not improve those which they actually 
have. Others, because they cannot do all that they would 
wish to do, are discouraged, and do nothing—Beware of 
this fatal temptation. 

When St Ignatius retired to Manresa, to live in the 
practice of continual penance, amongst many other temp- 

*Luke, xii. 40. f 1 Thes. v. 2. 3. ^Luke, xii. 20. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


51 


tations to which he was exposed, the following was one 
of the gi-eatest: the devil presented these thoughts con- 
liiiualiy to his mindIs it possible you should be able 
to lead so hard and painful a life during fifty or sixty 
years, which probably you have still to live ^ To over¬ 
come similar temptations, arising from the fear of not be¬ 
ing able to persevere a Tong time, in tlie pursuit of per¬ 
fection, amid the many difficulties by which they are en¬ 
compassed, some persons will find it extremely useful to 
look no further than the present day. This means ivill 
be calculated to prevent them from desponding, and be¬ 
ing dismayed by the anticipation of future evils, which 
their pusillanimity unduly magnifies. It is well adapted to 
their weakness. Let them, in the morning resolve to keep 
their resolutions till noon; at noon, renew them, till night: 
and so, by degrees, and little by little, they will become 
.stronger, more fiim, more generous. They will learn to 
use violence with themselves, and to govern their pas¬ 
sions. God will reward their fidelity and renewed exer¬ 
tions, by a more frequent and abundant communication of 
his grace: “he will teach their hands to fight, and their 
fingers to war,”* that they may obtain a complete victory 
over themselves, and their evil inclinations. 

I have said that this means was adapted to the weak¬ 
ness of many. For, if we were strong, if we were fer¬ 
vent, if we truly loved God, it would not be necessary 
thus to conduct us by degrees, and to hide the labor and 
difficulty from us; because a true servant of God is not 
terrified either by the length of time, or the difficulty of 
things; but, in God’s service, he thinks all time short, 
and the pain and labor he undergoes, appear to him 
sweet and easy. fie does not bind himself, says St. 
Bernard, for a year or some certain time, as a mercena¬ 
ry does, but consecrates himself, forever, to God’s ser- 
vicq. By this generous consecration of himself, with¬ 
out reserve, and without limitation of time, the just man 
“ being made perfect in a short space, fulfils a long time.f” 
That is to say, as the same saint explains this text, he 


Ts. cxliii. 1. 


f Wisd. iVf 13, 


52 


THE PRACTICE OF 


lives many years in a few days; because he has so much 
love for God, and so much fervor in his service, that, if 
he should live a hundred thousand years, he would em¬ 
ploy them all to love and serve him faithfully. Thus, the 
will which he has to do so, is as meritorious as if he had 
actually spent them after this manner; and God, who 
knows the bottom of his heart, the extent of his resolu¬ 
tions, and the greatness of his zeal, rewards him accord¬ 
ingly. St. Paul, by a particular revelation from Almigh¬ 
ty God, was sure, that neither death, nor life, — nor things 
present, nor things to come, — would be able to separate 
him from the love of God.* That it will be so with re¬ 
gard to himself, by the help of divine grace, ought to be 
the hope of every good Christian. 

* Rom. viii. 38. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


53 


CnAFTER HI. 


ON THE PURITY OF INTENTION WE OUGHT TO HAVE IN 
ALL OUR ACTIONS. 


One of the things that St. Ignatius has most of all re¬ 
commended and most frequently repeated in his Consti¬ 
tutions, is, that we sliould endeavour to have a pure in¬ 
tention in all our actions, and never seek any thing in 
them, but the will of God, and his greater honor and 
glory. lie constantly repeated these words: “ To the 
greater glory of God — Having always in view his 
greater honor, and service.” God’s glory was so 
profoundly rooted in his heart, that he directed all his 
words and actions to tliis end. It is therefore with great 
reason, that to the images of this saint, they have affixed 
these words: to the greater glory of god ; for they 
could not bestow on him greater praise, in fewer words 

— in this, is comprised the whole history of his life. 
God’s glory was the soul which animated all his actions 

— it was his device, his motto, his arms. 

It is true, that the best intention, cannot justify us for 
doing what we know to be, in itself, an evil; and, the 
end does not, in that case, sanctify the means. But a holy 
intention gives value to actions naturally indifferent, and 
enhances the merit of those which are good in themselves. 
So that, our actions will be more meritorious and perfect, 
in proportion as our intentions will be more upright and 
pure. But to observe some method, in what I have to 
say on this important subject, I will speak, first of the 
end, we ought to avoid, and afterwards of that, which we 
ought to propose to ourselves, in our actions. 

5 * 


54 


THE PRACTICE OP 


SECT. I. 

JVe ought to shun vamglory — Its remedies. 

I. All the saints admonish us, to be on our guard against 
vainglory, which, often steals from us our best actions ; 
and insinuates itself so very secretly, that it inflicts a 
wound, even before we perceive it. St. Gregory says 
that vainglory is like a robber, w’ho first craftily insinu¬ 
ates himself into the company of a traveller, pretending 
to go the same way he does, and afterwards robs and 
kills him, when he is least upon his guard, and thinks 
himself in the greatest security. T confess, says this great 
saint, in his Morals, that when I examine my own inten¬ 
tion, in writing this, methinks, I have no other will than 
to please God; but I find, that, when I am not upon 
my guard, a vain desire of pleasing men prompts me; 
and that what I do, is not so free from dust and chaff, as 
it was in the beginning. 

A serious reflection on our conduct will enable us to 
discover similar temptations, in our best actions. We ap¬ 
ply to them, at first, through motives of charity, and zeal: 
afterwards, vanity unites itself to these intentions, ex¬ 
citing in us a desire to please men, and to be esteemed by 
them; so that, when we do not obtain this esteem, we begin 
to lose courage, and are unable to do any thing, but 
with reluctance. 

The peculiar character of the sin of vainglory, is, 
that it robs God of the glory that belongs to him alone, 
and of which he is so jealous that he says, by his pro¬ 
phet, “ He will not give it to another.”* Yes, O Lord ! 
says St. Austin, he who would be praised for ^our 
gifts, and seeks not your glory, but his own, in the good 
he does, is a robber; and is like the devil himself, who 
attempts to deprive you of 5 ^our glory. In gill the works 
of God there are two things, utility, and glory: as to the 
utility, he leaves it entirely to men; but he reserves all 
the glory of them to himself alone. “ The Lord hath 


* Isai. xlii. 8. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


55 


made all things for himself,”* that is to say, for his glo¬ 
ry ; “ And has created all nations to praise and glorify 
his nanie.”t When, therefore, we seek to attract to our¬ 
selves the esteem and praise of men, we pervert the or¬ 
der which God established ; and we do him am injury; be¬ 
cause we endeavour to make men, wiio should have no 
other employment than to praise and honor him, employ 
themselves in praising and honouring creatures. For al¬ 
though we say, that we do all our good works for 
God’s sake, and wish men to regard none but him, yet 
we wish in the bottom of our heart, that they would turn 
their eyes from him, and fix them upon us. He who is 
truly humble, seeks not his own glory, but that of God 
alone. 

Moreover, what is the amount of all we can do, that 
we should take pride in it.? And, if w^edo any good, know 
we not that the will, the opportunity,and the means of doing 
it come from God, “ w ho worketh in us both to will, and 
to accomplish “ W'hat hast thou,” asks St. Paul,” 
‘‘ that thou hast not received.? and if thou hast received, 
why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it .?”|| 
No; — w'e should rather blush at the good opinion we 
are apt to have of ourselves; and be asliamed to praise 
ourselves for any thing w^e do, when we reflect on 
what we owe to God, and how imperfect our best ac¬ 
tions are — how often they are tainted with vanity, self- 
love, and other human motives. 

The prejudice we receive from vainglory, is sufli- 
ciently explained to us in the gospel, by the Son of God, 
when he tells us: Take heed that you do not your jus¬ 
tice before men, that you may be seen by them ; other¬ 
wise, you shall not have a reward from your father, who 
is inheaven.”§ You wish to gain applause, esteem, and 
reputation — this, is the motive that actuates you ; it wfill 
also be your reward: you need not expect any other. 
“ Amen, I say to you,” says Jesus Christ, speaking of 
such as act in this manner, “ they have received their re¬ 
ward.”•[[ They barter “ an eternal weight of glory” for 

*Prov. xvi. 4. t Deut- xxvi. 19. J Philip, ii. 13. (| 1 Cor. iv. 7. 

Mat. vi. 1. If Mat. vi. 5. 


56 


THE PRACTICE OE 


a momentary gratification of pride, and self-love : they 
might have purchased the kingdom of heaven, and they 
gain nothing but the transient reward of human ap¬ 
plause. What greater abuse and folly can be imagined, 
than to have taken a great deal of pains, and to have per¬ 
formed many good actions, and yet to find our hands emp¬ 
ty in the end it is this the prophet Aggaeus gives us to 
understand, when he says; “ Set your hearts to consider 
your ways. You have sowed much and brought in lit¬ 
tle : — you have ^clothed yourselves, but have not been 
warm; and he that hath earned wages, put them into a 
bag with holes.”* Behold what vainglory does : it puts 
all things in a bag full of holes — what enters at one 
end, goes out at the other. Since you take so much 
pains to do what is, in itself, right and commendable, why 
do it in such a manner as not to profit by it, and lose all 
the fruit of your labors ^ 

St. Basil enumerates three sorts of evils, in vainglory. 
The first is, to make us w^aste our body by great labor, 
watchings, and what is most painful in good works; the 
second, to destroy all their merit, after they are done, 
and to make us lose all the advantage, we might have ex¬ 
pected from them. This vice, he says, does not hinder 
us from working, but it waits till we have taken pains to 
perform many good works, and, afterwards, robs us of 
them all. It is like a pirate, who attacks not a vessel which 
is sailing out of port to purchase goods, but waits till it 
returns home richly freighted. The third evil, which 
vainglory inflicts upon us, is still worse; for it turns good 
into evil, and virtue into vice, through the vanity of the 
end we propose to ourselves. Hence, instead of the re¬ 
compense due to us, it causes us to deserve punishment. 
In such sort, that what should raise us to lieaven, serves 
only to precipitate us more deeply into hell. Praise is 
sweet to those who know not what it is; but its effects 
are pernicious to the soul. St. Bernard compares it to 
an arrow which flies silently, penetrates as silently, but 
inflicts a wound hard to be cured, and kills on a sudden. 


Chap. i. 5. 6. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


57 


We read in the life of St. Pachomius, that whilst he was 
one night in his monastery, with some other ancient fa¬ 
thers, one of his religious carried two little mats which 
he had made that day, and laid them close by his cell, over 
against the place where the saint was sitting, imagining 
that when he would see them he would praise his 
diligence for having made two mats in one day, when the 
rule obliged him to make only one. The saint readily 
perceived that it was done through a spirit of vanity; 
and addressing himself to the fathers who w^ere \vith him, 
Behold, said he, heaving a deep sigli, what pains this 
brother has taken from morning till night, to offer, after¬ 
wards, all his labor to the devil; having preferred the es¬ 
teem of men to the glory of God ! 

The temptation of vainglory is so much the more 
to be dreaded as it attacks not only beginners in the ser¬ 
vice of God, but even those wdiohave already made great 
advances in the way of perfection. St. Cyprian speak¬ 
ing of the second temptation the devil made use of against 
Jesus Christ when he carried him to the pinnacle of the 
temple, and said to him, “ If thou be the Son of God, cast 
thyself down,”* remarks that the evil spirit imagined he 
could have the same success against him that he had for¬ 
merly had against others, whom he had overcome by vain¬ 
glory, when they could not be vanquished any other way. 
For the temptation of vanity and vainglory is sometimes 
the last resource left to the tempter, to cause the most 
perfect to lose all the merit of their good ivorks. As 
it often happens, that, after a most prosperous voyage, 
a vessel is wrecked in the very haven; so, the most 
perfect ought to be exceedingly on their guard against 
vanity; because, after having sailed prosperously through¬ 
out the whole course of their life, stood courageously 
all the storms and tempests the devil raised against 
them, ivhen they come in sight of the harbour, full of 
confidence in past victories, and believe themselves out 
of all danger, they often sulfer a miserable shipwreck, by 


* Mat. iv. 6. 


58 


THE PRACTICE OF 


their pride and vanity. Hence some call vainglory a 
storm in the liarbour.” 

But if tliis temptation is so formidable when it attacks 
tliose who, by a long practice of self-denial and cliristian 
mortification, have learned to subdue their passions; how 
much should those diead it, who have but lately begun 
the great work of their salvation! who, having Irequent 
occasions to humble themselves, do still, in many cases, 
permit themselves to be pulled up with pride, for some 
one thing or other that is commendable in them ! This 
is a very great abuse. One fault alone ought to be suffi¬ 
cient to humble and confound us; because even the least 
defect, renders any thing whatsoever imperfect and bad. 
We, however, act after a different manner — The ma¬ 
ny faults and sins, which we daily commit, suffice not 
to inspire us with humble thoughts; but the least advan¬ 
tage we think we possess, is sufficient to fill us with van¬ 
ity, and make us look for the esteem, and applause of the 
world. 

II. The greatest and most efficacious remedy against 
vainglory, is to consider tlie opinion of men as a thing of 
no importance, which neither gives, nor takes away any 
thing from us. So that, all they can say of us, whether 
good or bad, neither makes us better, nor worse. St. 
Chrysostom upon these words of the royal prophet: 

Thou wilt bless the just,”* remarks that the lioly king 
by saying this, encourages the just to contemn the perse¬ 
cutions and calumnies of men. For what harm can the 
injuries and afiVonts which they receive, do them, if God 
blesses them ^ And, on the contrary, what good can the 
praise or applause of men do us, if we have not God’s 
blessing.? He, afterwards, cites the example of Job, 
sitting upon a dunghill, covered all over with lepro¬ 
sy, ulcers, and w^orms, persecuted and scoffed at by his 
friends, who was, notwithstanding,happy in this state, be¬ 
cause God blessed him, and gave Ifim this testimony, that 
he was “a man upright, fearing God. avoiding evil, and 
persevering in his innocence.”t It is this, that rendered 


* Ps. V. 13. 


t Job ii. 3. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


59 


him truly happy and great; nor could the contempt of men 
lessen his merit in the least. Therefore, adds St. Chry- 
sostoiH, what we ought, with all zeal and care, to pro¬ 
cure, is, to be esteemed by God: and since the esteem or 
contempt of men can neither give nor take any thing from 
us, we have no reason to be uneasy about the opinion 
which they may entertain of us. “As to me,” says St. 
Paul, “ it is a thing of the least account, to be judged by 
you, or by human judgment — he thatjudgeth me is the 
Lord.”* I shall subjoin a remark of St. Bonaventure: 
Be not angry with those that speak ill of you; for what 
they say is either true or false; if it is true, you must not 
wonder they dare say, what you dare do; if it is false, 
their detraction can do you no harm. But if, notwith¬ 
standing, any motion of anger should arise, repress it, and 
suffer all with patience, as one suffers fire when applied 
to a wound: for as the fire heals the wound, even so the 
detraction you suffer will perhaps cure you of some se¬ 
cret pride, which, for some time, you have entertained 
and taken pleasure in. 

A second means, which will help us much to shun the 
temptation of vainglory, is to take great care never to use 
any expression in praise of ourselves. Never mention 
any thing of yourself, that may redound to your praise, 
says St. Bernard, but on the contrary, endeavour to hide 
your virtues, with more care than you take to hide your 
faults and imperfections. In fact, there is something so 
shocking and disgusting in a man praising himself, that 
the propriety of the old adage, Self-praise, is no praise, 
is felt by every body. 

The third means, to guard against vainglory, i.s, not to 
content ourselves with abstaining from what may tend 
to our praise; but even to hide, as much as we possibly 
can, the good actions we perform, according to the pre¬ 
cept of Christ: “ Take heed that you do not your justice 
before men, that you may be seen by them — When 
thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know, what thy 
right hand doeth — When thou shalt pray, enter into thy 


• 1 Cor. iv. 3. 4. 


60 


THE practice op 


chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in 
secret.”* The true servant of God, says 8t. Grego¬ 
ry, esteems the good he does as nothing, when he can¬ 
not hide it from the eyes of men, and believes he has 
already received a kind of reward for it, if he adds not 
other good works, which cannot come to their know¬ 
ledge. St. Jerom relates of St. Hilarion, that, per¬ 
ceiving the concourse of people that followed him, and 
the reputation his miracles attracted, he wept bitterly, 
and his disciples asking him what was the cause of his 
tears : Methinks, says he, when I see the esteem that 
men have for me, that God pays me in this life, for the 
service which 1 endeavour to render him. Do not 
therefore covet the esteem of men, for fear that God 
should confine to this, all the recompense of the good 
works, you may have performed. 

But, because we cannot always hide our good actions, 
particularly, if we are obliged to contribute by our ex¬ 
ample to the edification of our neighbour: the first thing 
we have to do in this case, is to rectify our intention in 
the beginning, to raise our heart to God, and offer to him 
all our thoughts, words and actions, to the end, that, when 
vainglory comes to claim a part in them, we may say to 
it, according to the advice of father Avila, You come 
too late, all is already given to God. We read in the 
life of St. Bernard, that a thought of vainglory having 
come to his mind while he was preaching, he said : I 
have not commenced for your sake ; nor will I leave off 
on your account. In like manner, we should not let the 
fear of vainglory make us desist from our good under¬ 
takings: we must only stop our ears, and render our¬ 
selves deaf to the praises of men. St. Chrysostom says, 
that we ought to behave towards the world, as a father 
behaves to his son, whilst he is yet in his infancy. Whe¬ 
ther the child be fond of him, or shows himself peevish to 
him, it is all the same thing: he laughs as well at the one 
as at the other; because he looks upon him as an infant, 
who knows not what he says, nor what he does. Let us 


* Mat. vi. 3. 6. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


61 


look upon the world in the same light: — as an infant, 
who has not the sense to know what it says, nor what it 
does. St. Francis Xaverius went still farther, and said : 
If we attentively considered our faults and sins, and what 
we truly are in God’s sight, we should look upon the 
praises of men, as so many railleries, and insults. 

The knowledge of ourselves is, in truth, the best,. and 
most proper remedy against vainglory : it is also the last 
means, we propose, to protect us against ft. If we enter a 
little into ourselves, and take an account of what we are, 
we shall see nothing, we can be proud of, but rather ma¬ 
ny things to humble and confound us. For we are full 
of faults and imperfections; not only on account of our 
sins, but also in those very actions, which appear the 
best, and most worthy of praise. For if we examine 
them well, we shall find occasion enough of humiliation 
and confusion. “ I feared all my works,”* said holy 
Job; whereby, he taught us how little confidence we 
should place in ourselves, on account of the many im¬ 
perfections and defects, which easily intermix with all 
we do; especially, when we stand not upon our guard, 
and keep not a diligent watch over ourselves. Hence it is, 
that the ignorance of our imperfections, is the foundation 
of our pride, and the source of that vainglory, which 
puffs up our mind. For if we examine ourselves with 
attention, at night, and take an exact account of what we 
have done during the day,^ we shall find in ourselves 
a thousand imperfections, and a thousand faults, we have 
committed in thoughts, words, and actions, and a thou¬ 
sand omissions, we have been guilty of. And if it 
happens, that we have done any thing good, we shall 
often find we have corrupted it, and destroyed its merit, 
either by our vanity, our negligence — or several other 
defects, we are ignorant of. 

♦ Job, \x. 28. 


6 


62 


THE PRACTICE OF 


SECT. II. 

The greater glory of God, is the end we ought to propose 
to ourselves in all our actions — Marks of this purity 
of intention — Means to acquire it — Its various de¬ 
grees. 

I. I. I have already shown that our actions ought 
to be entirely disengaged from all sort of vanity, and 
human respects, and thereby, pointed out, how evil 
is to be avoided. Now I shall speak of the end and 
intention, we ought to have in all we do, and show 
that God’s greater glory is, the only end we ought to pro¬ 
pose to ourselves. An ancient father of the desert was 
used to stop a moment, at the beginning of every thing 
he did ; and being asked, one day, what was the reason of 
his acting in this manner, he replied: I believe that our 
actions have no merit in themselves, if they are not done 
for a good end, and therefore, before I do any thing I di¬ 
rect my intention to God, who ought to be the only end 
of all our actions; and it is upon this account, that I al¬ 
ways pause a little, in the beginning of every thing I do. 

To speak more clearly, and to descend more to parti¬ 
culars, I say we ought to endeavour to offer, and, actual¬ 
ly, to direct all our actions to God: and this may be 
done with more or less perfection. For first, in the 
morning, we ought, when we rise, to offer to God all our 
thoughts, words, and actions for that day, and beg of 
him, that all may be to his honor and glory : to the 
end, that when vainglory will present itself to desire a 
part in them, we may answer it, with truth: You 
come too late, all is, already, disposed of. But we 
ought not to content ourselves with this; we must also 
accustom ourselves, as much as we are able, to take 
care not to begin any thing, without first referring it, ac¬ 
tually, to God’s greater glory. And as in a building, we 
lay no stone without applying the rule and plumb; so, in 
every action we do, we ought to apply the unerring rule 
of the will, and greater glory of God. Moreover, as a 
good workman contents not himself with making use of 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


63 


his rule and square only once, but often applies them, till 
the stone is fairly placed; so, it is not enough that we 
have once offered our actions to God, in the beginning of 
each of them; but, whilst we are performing them, we 
ought to act in such a manner, as thereby, continually to 
offer them to God ; saying to him. Lord ! it is for you I 
do this — I do it, because you have commanded me, and, 
because, you desire to have it so. 

When the masters of a spiritual life wish to explain to 
us, what we are to do, in order to raise our actions to a 
high degree of perfection, they are wont to make use 
of a very just comparison. As mathematicians, say 
they, consider in bodies only the dimension and figure; 
and always abstract from the matter, because it makes 
nothing to their purpose; so the true servant of God 
ought to think of nothing in all his actions but the will of 
God — and to this end, he ought to abstract totally from 
the matter, that is to say, he should not care, whether, 
what duty requires him to do, is, in itself, pleasing or 
painful, great or insignificant. Because it is not in that, 
in which our imperfection consists, but only in doing the 
will of God, and in seeking his glory, in all things. A 
Christian, says St. Basil, has only one thing in view 
in all his actions, and that is, the glory of God; hence, 
he adds, the Apostle tells us, “ whether you eat or drink, 
OP whatsoever else you do; do all things for the glory of 
God.”* 

If we accustom ourselves to do all things with this 
pure and noble intention, we shall soon become rich, in 
good, and meritorious works. For this is truly the phi¬ 
losopher’s stone, which changes iron and brass into gold; 
because, how mean soever any action may be of itself, it 
renders it precious. 

2. From what we have said, it will be easily under¬ 
stood, how greatly mistaken those persons are, who as¬ 
cribe the distractions, which they have in their pray¬ 
ers, and the confused state of mind in which they 
live, to their external occupations: for, how trouble- 


*i. Cor. X. 31. 


64 


THE PRACTICE OF 


some and vexatious soever they may be, these occupa¬ 
tions, when lawful and necessary, are the very means by 
which such persons are to contribute to the glory of God, 
and save their souls. The trouble and hurry, of which 
they complain, is owing to a want of confidence in God, 
and submission to his divine will; to the neglect of 
prayer, and of such reflections and meditations as are not 
incompatible with the most laborious occupations. No 
matter how busily employed we may be, we are still able 
to raise our minds and hearts to God, to walk in his 
presence,” and thus, become perfect. 

St. John Climacus relates that in a monastery near 
Alexandria, he found a cook who was, every day, to 
prepare meat for two hundred and thirty religious, be¬ 
sides strangers; and yet, amidst all these exterior la¬ 
bors, he was always recollected in himself, and shed tears 
in abundance. The Saint being much astonished at 
this, pressed him to tell, how he was able to pre¬ 
serve so great a recollection of mind, and to obtain the 
gift of tears — I always imagine to myself, answered the 
brother, that it is God whom I serve, and not men; 
therefore, I believe that I ought not to allow myself any 
rest; and the sight of the material fire, furnislies me 
with a continual fountain of tears, by setting continually 
before my eyes the violence of the fire of hell. 

3. St, Jerome and St. Gregory remark, that the in¬ 
spired writers speaking of those who lived in the man¬ 
ner we have described, say, that full days” were found 
in them, that they died ‘‘full of days.” Thus, the 
wise man tells us that the just, “ in a short space, f^ulfill- 
ed a long time:”* But, how can one live a long while, in 
a short time.? I answer: he can,by taking care that his 
actions be wholly for God, and his days full of good 
works. To the true servants of God, every day is twen¬ 
ty-four hours— they suffer not one moment of this time 
to passby unprofitably. The day is always full and entire 
to them ; because they employ it totally in doing the will 
of God. The very hours of eating, recreating, and 


* Wisd. iv. 13. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


65 


sleeping, are not lost for tliem; because, they spend 
their time conformably to the divine will; and refer all 
to the glory of God. It is by these means that they live 
a long while, in a short time; and that a few'days of life, 
make many years of merit. 

On the contrary, those who have neglected to do good 
works, may be said — no matter how old they may be, 
when they die — to have lived a short time. The wick¬ 
ed, and careless, who never prepare for death before it 
comes, are generally, then, sensible of this truth. They 
never will find time to think seriously, and effectually on 
their salvation: they put off their conversion from year 
to year, until, at last, a few days only, perhaps a few 
moments, are left to them, to settle their eternal con¬ 
cerns. If, therefore, they were, at that awful crisis, to 
calculate the length of their lives, by the good which they 
may have done, how short they would appear! 

Let us adopt this mode of reckoning our years; count¬ 
ing only those days, which we have spent in the faithful 
observance of our duties to God, our neighbour, and our¬ 
selves : those days, in which we have lived as true, and 
pious Christians ought; not only by shunning evil, but by 
doing all the good we could. J>y this means, whether 
we die young, or arrive at an advanced age, we shall al¬ 
ways have lived long enough to acquire great merits be¬ 
fore God, and obtain “the crownof life,” after our death. 

4. Those whose vocation is to contribute to the spirit¬ 
ual advancement of others, or, who, from motives of pure 
zeal, devote themselves to works of mercy, such as to 
instruct the ignorant, visit the sick, Slc. ought to take a 
particular care, to rectify their intention, and act purely 
for God. The fulfilling of his divine will, is the principal 
object they should have in view. Then, they will not 
be disturbed at their want of success in their charitable, 
or zealous undertakings; but whatever may be the result 
of their exertions, they will be satisfied in having done 
their duty, as well as they were able. One may 
“ plant,” another may “ water,” but God alone can “ give 
the increase.”* 

6 * 

* i. Cor. iii, 6, 


66 


THE PRACTICE OF 


By thus depending on God for the success of what we 
undertake, we shall not be apt to attribute to ourselves 
the good we may do ; but we will refer it to him alone, 
who gave it. We shall not easily yield to the temptation 
of vainglory; nor shall we be elated with pride, and the 
esteem of ourselves. We shall be thankful to God, who, 
notwithstanding our unworthiness, vouchsafed to make 
use of us, as instruments of his mercy; and, at the same 
time, remain confident, that much more might have been 
effected, had we been more humble, more zealous and 
fervent, in doing the work intrusted to our care; and had 
we not, as it were, spoiled it, by our many imperfections. 

II. St. Gregory, speaking of those who are bound by 
the duties of their profession to work at the salvation of 
others, lays down a rule whereby they can readily judge, 
whether they seek purely the glory of God, or have their 
own also in view. Take notice, says he, whether or not 
you feel the same joy when another preaches well, is nu¬ 
merously attended, and produces great fruit in souls, as 
if you had the same success yourself. For if you re¬ 
joice not as much, but on the contrary feel a sort of trou¬ 
ble and envy; it is an infallible sign that you do not pure¬ 
ly seek the glory of God. This rule may be applied to 
every kind of good work we undertake in behalf of our 
neighbour — particularly by persons who belong to char¬ 
itable societies, or religious associations. We may say to 
them, in the language of St. James, “ if you have bitter 
zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts — this is not 
the wisdom, descending from above; but earthly, sensual, 
diabolical.”* You are not zealous for the honor of God, 
but for your own; you wish to attract to yourself that es¬ 
teem and reputation, which you perceive another has 
gained. For if you desired the glory of God, and not your 
own, you would be glad that there are many per¬ 
sons who can do more than you are able to do your¬ 
selves. The true servants of God were actuated by 
these sentiments, and evinced them by their conduct. 
Moses having been desired by Josue to forbid Edad and 


•Ch.iii. 14. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 


67 


Medad to prophesy, he told him with warmth and emo¬ 
tion : “ Why hast thou emulation for me ? O! that all 
the people might prophesy, and that the Lord would 
give them his spirit !”* St. Paul having understood that 
some would preach the word of God “ out of envy and 
contention,” through ill-will towards him, wrote to the 
Philippians : “ What thenso that every way, whether 
by occasion, or by truth, Christ be preached; in this al¬ 
so I rejoice.”t It is related that Father Avila, on hear¬ 
ing that the Society of Jesus was established through the 
exertions of St. Ignatius, declared that this was the ob¬ 
ject he had aspired to, for many years, but that he could 
not attain it. He added: on that occasion, I felt as a 
a child, who, being at the foot of a mountain, should 
endeavour to roll a heavy burden to the top of it, 
but who, by reason of his weakness, could not effect his 
purpose — at length there came a giant, who took up the 
same burden, and with all the ease imaginable carried it 
where he pleased. Thus, this holy man looked upon 
himself as a child, whilst he compared St. Ignatius to a 
giant. But to come to what is more our present purpose 
— the establishment of the society gave him as great joy 
as if he had been the founder of it himself; because, in 
this, he regarded only the glory of God, and the salva¬ 
tion of souls. 

We can also judge of the purity of our intentions with 
regard to the desire of our own spiritual advancement, 
by a similar rule. "I^'hoever is disturbed and dejected 
because he sees another advance before him in the way 
of virtue, seeks not purely the greater glory of God. 
For though it be true, that a faithful servant of God, 
ought to have his heart pierced with sorrow, on seeing 
that he serves not so great a master as diligently as he 
ought, and could; yet, it does not follow, that he must dis¬ 
quiet himself, or repine, because another makes greater 
progress than he. On the contrary, in the sorrow he 
ought to feel at not serving God better than he does, it 
should be a great comfort to him to see, that, though he 


• Numb. xi. 29 . 


f Chap. i. 18. 


68 


THE fRACTICE OF 


does not himself comply perfectly with his duty, yet, 
there are others who acquit themselves of theirs, as he 
would wish to acquit himself of his ; and who serve, and 
glorify God as they ought. 

A second mark that we do our actions purely for God, 
is a holy indifference about the nature of the good works 
in which we may be employed, in conformity to the 
will of God, according as circumstances may require. 
For if we do not apply with equal zeal and alacrity to 
a pious undertaking for which we expect no great praise 
from others, and no gratification to our pride and self- 
love:; it is a sign that we have ourselves in view, more 
than God. 

III. St. Ignatius, explaining in his Constitutions, after 
what manner we ought daily to increase in rectitude, and 
purity of intention, says: Let all our study be to have 
an upright intention: proposing nothing else to ourselves 
than to serve and please God ; and this rather through 
love, and gratitude for the benefits we have received, 
than through fear of punishment, or hope of reward. 

Tliere are several ways of seeking, and serving God. 
To serve him through fear of punishment, is still to seek 
him ; this fear is good, and a gift of God, which the roy¬ 
al prophet begged of him when he said, “Pearce thou 
my flesh with thy fear; for I am afraid of thy judg¬ 
ments.”* Were the fear of punishment to be such, that 
we should be actually willing to offend God, if there was 
no future punishment; it would, then, be itself sinful. But 
to make use of the consideration of the pains of hell, the 
fear of death, and judgment, in order to excite ourselves 
the better to serve God, and to abstain from offending 
him, cannot be but laudable; since the holy scriptures of¬ 
ten present these awful truths to our view, in the most 
striking manner, and wishes us to meditate on them. 

We also seek God, when we serve him for the recom¬ 
pense, which we hope to obtain after our death ; and this 
motive, is even preferable to that which is founded upon 
fear. These two great sanctions of God’s laws—the 


*Ps. cxviii. 120. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


69 


fear of punishment, and the hope of reward — are to be 
considered as useful, and indeed, generally speaking, in¬ 
dispensable means, to urge us on to do good and avoid evil. 

There is however a third motive still more desirable, 
and truly perfect. It consists in seeking God, purely for 
himself: in serving him through love, on account of his 
infinite perfections ; in a word, because he is God. 

The fathers of the church, in speaking of the manner 
in which we ought to serve God, say that we ought not 
to be like those servants, who have little, or no affection 
for their masters, and regard what recompense, they 
are to receive: because this is to act rather like a mer¬ 
cenary, who thinks of nothing but his own interest, than 
like a servant, that has a love for his master. It is their 
wish, therefore, that we should be influenced by a nobler 
motive, and that we should serve God, as his children, 
purely for love of him. There is a great deal of differ¬ 
ence, they add, between the service of a slave, or of 
a hireling, and that of a son. . The slave serves his mas¬ 
ter only through fear of punishment; the hireling through 
hope of recompense. But the son, acts after a different 
manner: it is out of pure love that he serves his father. 
And when he takes great care to do nothing that may 
displease him, it is not that he fears any punishment, nor 
that he hopes for any reward; but if his father be pleas¬ 
ed, he believes himself sufficiently rewarded for all his 
pains, and services. We ought to serve God after the 
same manner, say these great saints: love and serve him, 
as it becomes true children. Let it be only for his love 
that we act, let it be purely to please him ; and because 
his infinite goodness deserves still more than we can do. 
If you have ever been worthy to do any thing pleasing 
to God, says St. Chrysostom, and seek any other re¬ 
compense than to have deserved to please him; you must 
undoubtedly be ignorant of your happiness: because if 
you knew it, you would never desire any other recom¬ 
pense. — Do not imagine, however, adds this great saint, 
that because you have it not in view, your recompense 
will be the less on that account. On the contrary, it 
will for that very reason, become greater, and the less 


70 


THE PRACTICE OP 


you look to your own interest, the more considerable will 
be your gain. For it is certain, that the more our action 
is free from, and void of all sort of self-interest, themOre 
pure and perfect it is ; and it never becomes so meritori¬ 
ous as when there is not in it any mixture of self-love. 

IV. From the doctrine of the holy fathers, and chiefly 
from that of St. Bernard, we infer that there are three 
degrees of perfection, by which we can elevate ourselves 
'to a great purity of intention, and to a perfect love of 
God. Tlie first is, to seek nothing but the glory of 
God; so that in all we do, we keep our mind absolute¬ 
ly detached from all earthly things, fix our happi¬ 
ness in God alone, and confine our thoughts to the accom¬ 
plishment of the divine wilh He loves thee less than 
he ought, says St. Austin, who loves any thing with 
tliee, O Lord! which he loves not for thee. — She loved 
God truly and perfectly, who, in the midst of the pomp, 
and glory of her royal majesty, could say to him : “ Thou 
knowest, that thy handmaid hath never rejoiced, since I 
was brought hither unto this day, but in thee, O Lord! 
the God of Abraham.”* Persons, says St. Gregory, who 
have arrived at this degree of perfection, enjoy a most 
perfect tranquillity and peace of soul. Nothing disquiets 
or troubles them — they are not cast down by adversity, 
nor puffed up by prosperity. For as they have made 
for themselves a happiness which depends not on events, 
they feel superior to their vicissitudes. 

The second degree by which we may ascend to the per¬ 
fection of which we speak, is, not only to forget all things, 
but even to forget ourselves, and not to love ourselves but 
in God, and for God: so that, in all the gifts we receive 
from him, it is not the advantage we derive from them, 
but the accomplishment of his divine will in us, that con¬ 
stitutes our jo)", and happiness. It is thus, the saints love 
God in heaven. They rejoice more at the will of God 
being accomplished in them, than at the height of glory 
to which they are raised: they are so transformed in him, 
and united to his divine will, that amidst the ineffable de- 


*' Esther, xiv. 18. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 71 

lights they abound in, it is more for God’s sake than their 
own, that they love the felicity they possess. 

St. Bernard speaks of a third degree of perfection, as re¬ 
gards purity of intention, which I shall give in his own 
words: It is, he says, when we act, not to plea'se God ; but 
because God pleases us, or is pleased with what we do. So 
that, without thinking any more upon ourselves, than if we 
were not in the world, we look only upon the sole con¬ 
tentment, and satisfaction of God. But, alas! adds this 
great saint, the misfortune is, that in this land of exile I 
can never forget myself entirely ; “ Unhappy man that I 
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death.?”* 
“ When shall I come, and appear before the face of 
God .?”t Although we cannot reach this high degree of 
perfection, in this w^orld, we still ought often to endea¬ 
vour to have our eyes fixed on it; because the nearer we 
approach to this end, the closer will be our union with 
God. This perfect union, says the same saint, is what 
our divine Redeemer asked for us, when he said: “I 
pray, that as thou. Father! and I are one ; so they too, 
be one in us.” That is, that they love thee for thyself, 
and love themselves, only in thee. This is the end, con¬ 
summation, and perfection of all things: this is the peace 
and joy of the Lord ; the joy in the Holy Ghost, the calm, 
and repose of the blessed in heaven. 


* Rom. vii. 24. 


fPs. 41. 2. 


72 


THE PRACTICE OF 


CHAPTER lY. 


ON FRATERNAL CHARITY. 


SECT. I. 

The nature, excellence, and necessity of fraternal charity. 

We have two precepts of charity: “ Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy 
whole soul, and with thy whole mind — this is the 
greatest, and first commandment'— The second is like to 
this: thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”* It is 
of the second of these two precepts, we mean to speak 
in this place. St. Paul calls charity “the bond of per¬ 
fection ;”t for it draws and unites together things, that 
had been before widely separated, one from the other — 
of many wills, it makes one — it prompts me to desire 
that for another, which 1 desire for myself, by making 
me love him, as myself. It makes me look on my 
friend as a second self to me, and on myself as a se¬ 
cond self to him; of us both it makes only one. And 
here, remark, with St. Chrysostom, the extreme good¬ 
ness of God, who, notwithstanding the infinite difference 
that exists between him and man, would have us to love 
our neighbour in a manner so similar to that with which 
he wishes himself to be loved. He gave to the love of 
our neighbour, almost the same extent that he had given 
to the love, we ought to have for him. By saying that 
the second command was like to the first, he would have 


» Mat.xxii. 37, 38. 39. 


t Col. iii. 14. 




CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


73 


US to understand, that, if in virtue of this precept, we 
love our neighbour, it is God himself we love. Thus, af¬ 
ter St. Peter had thrice testified his love for his Divine 
Master, he was told “ to feed his sheep.”* As if our 
Lord had said to him: If you love me, take c£fre of mine; 
and thereby, I shall know whether you love me truly, 
and effectually. 

There is also another measure of our charity towards 
our neighbour, which our Saviour pointed out to us, 
when he said: “ I give you a new command, that you love 
one another, as 1 have loved you.”t Jesus Christ loved 
us purely for God, and he wishes us to love our neigh¬ 
bour purely for God. Behold here, says St. Austin, the 
commandment he calls new ; not only because he then is¬ 
sued a new ordinance, or, because he had lately taught 
it, by w’ord as w^ell as by example; but, because it is ac¬ 
tually, a new mode of loving, which he requires of us. 
Natural love, which is founded upon flesh and blood, and 
upon the consideration of interest and pleasure, is a ve¬ 
ry ancient love, and as old as the world; but the love 
with which Christ would have us love our neighbour, is 
a new love, because he would have it to be spiritual and 
supernatural; so as to make us love our neighbour for 
God. Divines say, that the virtue of charity, which 
makes us love God, for himself, is the same that makes us 
love our neighbour, for God’s sake — that, as this love of 
God is a theological virtue, that is to say, a virtue whol¬ 
ly divine, which has God for its object, so charity to¬ 
wards our neighbour, is also a theological virtue, inas¬ 
much as it is for God, we love our neighbour — that 
the infinite goodness of God, which deserves we should 
love him for himself, deserves also that, for him, we 
should love our neighbour. 

• There is nothing more strongly recommended to us, 
in holy scripture. Jesus Christ commands it twice 
in his discourse after the last supper : “ This is my com¬ 
mand, that you love one another, as I have loved you 
and soon after: “ These things I command you, that you 


• John, xxi. 17. 

7 


t John, xiii. 34. 


X John, XV. 12. 


74 


THE PRACTICE OF 


love one another.”* St. John, who had imbibed this hea¬ 
venly doctrine on the bosom of his Master, scarcely 
spoke of any thing else, in all his epistles — Mark how 
strong his expressions are on this subject: “ He that lov- 
eth his brother abideth in the light — but he that hateth 
his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness, and 
knoweth not whither he goeth; because the darkness 
hath blinded his eyes.”t — Whoever hateth his brother, 
is a murderer”! — “ if any man say, I love God, and ha¬ 
teth his brother, he is a liar.”§ St. Jerom relates, that, 
when this beloved disciple was no longer able, on ac¬ 
count of his advanced age, to deliver a regular discourse, 
he would continually repeat these words: My children, 
love one another; and that the faithful having asked him 
why he so often recommended the same tliing, he an¬ 
swered : Because it is the precept of our Lord, and if this 
alone be fulfilled, it is enough. St. Paul had said the 
same in his epistles: “ He that loveth his neighbour, hath 
fulfilled the law”|| — “ All the law is fulfilled in one sen¬ 
tence: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”^ 

Our Lord attaches so much importance to this precept 
that he hesitates not to make it the distinctive mark of 
his disciples: ‘‘ By this shall men know that you are my 
disciples, if you have love one for another.”** He goes 
even so far, as St. Chrysostom remarks, as to give this 
union and brotherly love amongst his followers, as a proof 
of the truth of his own mission: “ I pray,” he said, ‘‘ that 
they all may be one, as thou. Father! in me, and 1 in 
thee — that the world may believe that thou has sent 
me.”tt Nor w^asthis proof inetfectual. Out of the ma¬ 
ny instances of its efficacy, which might be adduced, I 
shall select a striking one, related by Baronius: St. Pa- 
comius being yet a Pagan, and engaged in the service of 
Constantine the Great, embarked with new levies, that 
were sent against Maxentius: they arrived in great dis¬ 
tress, in a town, whose inhabitants gave them all sorts of 
provisions with so much zeal and cheerfulness that Pa- 

* John, XV. 17. f i. John, ii. 10.11. J ib. iii. 15. § ib. iv. 20. 

II Rom. xiii. 8. IT Gal. v. 14. ** John, xiii. 35. ff John, xvii. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


75 


comius wondered who these persons might be that were 
so anxious to do good to their fellow men. Upon hearing 
that they were Christians, and that their religion taught 
them to assist all, as much as they were able, he felt so 
great a desire of becoming one himself, that, lifting up 
his hands to heaven, and calling God to witness, he forth¬ 
with embraced Christianity. 

But there is another thing, which ought to be a great 
comfort to lis, in the prayer of our Lord, after the last 
supper ; for he added: “ That the world may know that 
thou hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.”* One 
of the greatest marks of God’s peculiar love for a con¬ 
gregation, is, when he bestows upon its members the 
grace of fraternal charity; as he did upon the primitive 
church, that enjoyed the first fruits and blessings of the 
Holy Ghost. ‘‘ If we love one another,” says St. John, 

God abideth in us, and his charity is perfect in us.”t 
That we may therefore enjoy the great benefits he has 
promised, and that we may have a sure pledge, and 
earnest, that he remains with us, and that he loves us 
with a special affection, let us endeavour always to main¬ 
tain ourselves in the spirit of union, and fraternal chari- 

St. Paul, writing to the Colossians, after having re¬ 
commended to them the practice of many virtues, adds: 
“ But above all these things, have charity, which is the 
bond of perfection.”^ St Peter expresses the same sen¬ 
timent, nearly in the same words: “ Before all things 
have a mutual charity among yourselves ; for charity co- 
vereth a multitude of sins.”§ From these testimonies we 
may judge of what importance it is, that we should al¬ 
ways preserve the spirit of charity and union, since these 
great apostles, these two princes of the church, recom¬ 
mend it to us “ above, and before all things.” And in 
truth, what society can ever be formed, or be able to 
subsist, without union and charity.? Take away this 
bond from any assembly whatsoever — it will soon be¬ 
come a Babylon, and present nothing but discord and 

♦ John, »yii. 23. fi. Epigt. iv. 12. | Col. iii. 14. § i. Epist. iv. 8. 


76 


THE PRACTICE OF 


confusion. Hence there is no society, or commonwealth 
in the world, how barbarous soever it be, where there is 
not some kind of union among the members. Nay, the 
spirits of darkness themselves, must needs be united 
with one another; for, “ if Satan be divided against him¬ 
self,” says Jesus Christ, ‘‘ how shall his kingdom stand ?”* 
Plato teaches that there is nothing more pernicious to a 
commonwealth, than discord and disunion, nor any thing 
more useful or profitable, than peace and a^'good under¬ 
standing among the inhabitants. And in this, human wis¬ 
dom is in perfect accordance with divine revelation; 
“ Every kingdom divided against itself,” says our Lord, 
“ shall be brought to desolation; and a house upon a 
house, shall fall.”t 

By applying these general principles to particular ca¬ 
ses, their truth will be more sensibly felt, and more plain¬ 
ly understood. Speaking of religious communities, St. 
Jerom does not hesitate to say, that, without charity, 
they are a hell; and those who live in them, devils; but, 
that, with it, they become a heavenly paradise upon 
earth. May not the same be said, in some manner, of 
private families, societies, and associations of all sorts ^ 
When the individuals who compose them live at variance 
with one another, are guided by a spirit of opposition 
and jealousy, influenced by prejudices, self-willed, proud, 
and vindictive, is not their situation deplorable and 
wretched ? But, irbharity, harmony, and uniformity of 
purposes, prevail among them, what comfort, happiness 
and peace will they not derive from their union } ‘‘ Be¬ 

hold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to 
dwell together in unity!” exclaims the royal prophet, 
“ as the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount 
Sion.”J Not only will this fra4ernal charity be a source 
of consolation and delight, to those who preserve it a- 
mong themselves ; but it will constitute their strength, and 
secure their success in accomplishing the objects for 
which they may be united. “ A brother that is helped by 
a brother, is like a strong city,”§ says the Wise Man; 

• Luke, xi. 18. f ib. xi. 17. fPs. cxxxii. 1. 3- § Prov. xviii. 19. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


77 


Rnd A three-fold cord, is not easily broken.”* The 
first Christians understood these great truths, and redu¬ 
ced them to practice: “ The multitude of the believers 
had but one heart and one soul,”t says SU Luke. Do 
you wish to know what sort of a people the Christians 
are.^ writes Tertullian, it will be easy to satisfy you : we 
are a nation of brethren; nature made us equal, grace 
unites us still more closely : we have the same Father, 
God; the same spirit, the love of God ; amongst us, the 
poor are as welcome as the rich; we have no other am¬ 
bition than to excel each other in virtue. We take great 
care not to hate, nor grieve, nor injure any one : for we 
are commanded to love all men, even our enemies ; to do 
good to them that hate us, and to pray for them that per¬ 
secute, and calumniate us. Amongst us, in fine, no one 
murmurs, no one seeks revenge, no one speaks ill of his 
brother — Such is our doctrine, such is the gospel which 
is to judge us, on the last day. 

The love of our neighbour is so essentially connected 
with the fundamental principles of Christianity, that St. 
John looks upon it as a consequence of the love which 
God showed us, when he so loved the world, as to give 
his only begotten Son and as a proof of the love we 
have for him. “ If God hath so loved us,” he says, “ we 
ought also to love one another;”|| and soon after: “ He 
that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he 
love God, whom he seeth not 

To the first reasoning of the beloved disciple, some 
one might object, that the natural consequence we should 
draw from the love of God for us, is, that we ought to 
love him, and not, that we should, of course, love our 
neighbour. St. John himself draws this first conse- 
qence : “ Let us, therefore, love God, because God first 
loved us,” he says in the same epistle.** But the Apos¬ 
tle, “whom Jesus loved,” understood that the love of God 
and the love of our neighbour are inseparable. The one 
can never subsist without the other; so that, it is but one 

*Eccl. iv. 12. t Acta, iv. 32. § John, iii. 16. 

(j i. Epist. iv. 11. If ib. iv. 20. ♦♦ Chap. iv. 19. 

7 * 


78 


THE PRACTICE OF 


love of pure charity, which makes us love God for him¬ 
self; and our neighbour, for God’s sake. We can there¬ 
fore neither love God without loving our neighbour, nor 
love our neighbour, with the love of pure charity, with¬ 
out loving God himself; because, the motive we have to 
love our neighbour, is God. “ This command we have 
from God,” says the same Apostle, “ that he who loveth 
God, love also his brother.”^ 

When he asserts that the love we have for our neigh¬ 
bour is a proof of our love for God, he reasons thus : He 
who does not love his brother, whom he sees with his 
own eyes, will never make me believe that he loves God, 
whom he never saw. If he loves not the creator in man, 
his image and visible likeness, how will he persuade me 
that he loves him in himself, in his invisible essence, and in 
the light inaccessible, which he inhabits ? This reason¬ 
ing is convincing, and dispels all illusions—for who 
would dare say: I love thee, O God! provided that it will 
cost me nothing, that I shall not be obliged to govern my 
passions, to check my temper, to overcome my feelings 
and antipathies: My heart is thine, O Lord! yet, this 
heart, that belongs to thee, is insensible to the wants 
of some, rejoices at their misfortunes, and repines at the 
prosperity of others, for whose sake thy son died upon 
a cross: I love thee, my God ! and yet, I cannot love what 
thou lovest, I cannot suffer what thou sufferest; I cannot 
live peaceably on this earth with certain persons, with 
whom I hope to possess thee in heaven — such language 
would be an insult to God. 

Let none therefore deceive themselves on this momen¬ 
tous subject, but reject all the suggestions of self-love, 
pride, and wounded feelings, or, in the language of scrip¬ 
ture, “of flesh and blood,” by which they might be tempt¬ 
ed to set aside in practice, the precept of the love of 
their neighbours. When the carnal man, that is within 
you, says father Avila, will prompt you to say: What 
do I owe to this person, that I should do good to him ? 
How could I love him, after he has injured me ? An- 


* i. John, iv. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 


79 


swer him, that perhaps you would listen to what he says, 
if that person w^as the cause of your love; but that Christ 
himself, is the cause and object of it; that he looks upon 
the kindness and love, you show to your neighbour, as if 
they ivere shown to himself. 


SECT. II. 

The characters of fraternal charity. 

‘‘ That the members might be mutually careful one for 
another,” says St. Paul, “ if one member suffer any thing, 
all the members suffer with it.”* From this comparison 
we may infer one of the most striking features and es¬ 
sential duties of fraternal charity: it is, that we should 
share in the grief, partake in the afflictions, feel for the 
misfortunes of our fellow-creatures, or, in other words, 
“ weep, with them that weep ;”t and, do all we can to 
relieve and assist them — The same Apostle, who had 
become ‘‘ all things to all men,”J wishes us, in like man¬ 
ner, “ to rejoice with them that rejoice so that whatev¬ 
er might be our personal feelings and interest, we should 
be glad of the success and good fortune of others, and 
give thanks to God for the blessings, he bestows upon 
them. 

In the thirteenth chapter of his first epistle to the Co¬ 
rinthians, St. Paul enumerates the characters of charity 
more minutely: “ Charity,” he says, “ is patient, is kind ; 
charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed 
up, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provok¬ 
ed to anger, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, 
but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth 
all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Let us 
consider these characters attentively, that we may fully 
understand the nature and extent of this virtue. 

“Charity is patient, is kind:” it “beareth all things, 
endureth all things.” — Being all full of faults and imper- 

• i. Cor. xii. 85.56. f Ro®®' ^di. 16. J i. Cor. ix. 22, § Rom. xii. 15. 



80 


THE PRACTICE OP 


fections, and having often to deal with persons of a quar- 
rellous and perverse disposition', it would be impossible 
for us to preserve that peace and union, which religion 
commands, and the good of society requires, without the 
constant practice of patience, and kindness: patience, to 
bear with them; kindness, that they may be willing to 
bear with us — Thus shall we ‘‘fulfil the law of Christ.”* 
But if we are not disposed to suffer any thing, if we 
give way to our temper and ill-humor, upon the slight¬ 
est provocation, we shall soon lose charity itself. In 
vain would we try to persuade ourselves that we have a 
just cause for feeling, speaking, and acting as we do in 
such circumstances : in vain would v/e throw the whole 
blame upon others, and say that they provoked and irri¬ 
tated us. For whether it be so, or not; whether they 
be in fault too, or not — their faults do not authorize 
ours. True charity would prompt us, under the most 
trying oecurrenees, to be “ patient,” and even “ kind,” 
towards our neighbour. “ A mild answer” might soften 
his anger; “ a harsh word,” rouses his resentment.f And, 
ifw'e, at times, feel so overcome by the temptation of 
anger that we cannot find a good word to say to our bro¬ 
ther— a prudent silence, at least, would give us both 
time to reflect, and to cool. It was thus holy David act¬ 
ed, on such occasions: “ I was troubled,” he says, “ and 
I spoke not.”J You will say, that it is difficult, always to 
offer violence to ourselves, and repress our feelings, when 
we think ourselves ill-treated : so it is to corrupt nature ; 
but, with the help of God, the love of charity renders it 
practicable and even easy. Moreover, adds St. Austin, 
this difficulty will not last forever—we shall have noth¬ 
ing to suffer in the next world. Therefore, let us suffer 
at present, in this, to be happy in the other life; let us not 
lose the good opportunity offered us: the pain we under¬ 
go will not be long, and the recompense we merit' will 
never have an end. It is of so great importance, says 
the same saint, to bear with our neighbour, and to assist 
hitRj as far as we are able, that the whole of a Christian 


♦ Gal. vi. 6. 


t Prov. XV. 1. 


I Pa. Ixxvi. 5. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


81 


life is contained in these two points. And he advances 
this proposition, not without great reason; because a Chris¬ 
tian life being founded upon charity, and the perfection 
of charity being the fulfilling of the law, by consequence, 
the consummation or perfection of charity, is the con¬ 
summation or perfection of a Christian life. 

“Charity is not puffed up” — St. Ambrose remarks 
that friendship knows not what pride is; and the Wise 
Man tells us that “he will not be ashamed to salute a 
friend.”* For among friends, there is no standing upon 
ceremony; and without studying, who should be first to 
salute, each should endeavour to anticipate the other. 
Friendship is a stranger to forms and etiquette — it has 
more frankness, simplicity, and equality in its manner; 
and it is for this reason that Aristotle will have friendship 
to be amongst equals; and that a lalin poet says, that Love 
and majesty do not live under the same roof. Whoever 
wishes to maintain true friendship, must put himself upon 
an equality with his friend — he must make him another 
self. It is after this manner that the love of God for 
us, had such a power upon him as to cause him to de¬ 
base himself so far, as “ to be made to the likeness of 
men.”t Hence he says, he will not call us “ servants, 
but friends ;”J to signify a kind of equality between him¬ 
self and us. Let us, therefore, in our intercourse with 
our neighbour, lay aside self-love, pride, and haughtiness 
of behaviour. “ We ought to bear the infirmities of the 
Aveak,” says St. Paul, “and not to please ourselves.”§ 
Nothing contributes more to strengthen charity, as St. 
Ambrose remarks, than when we yield one to the other 
— when every man esteems his neighbour better than 
himself—when inferiors feel pleasure in serving, and su¬ 
periors abstain from domineering — when the poor are 
not angry, that the rich be preferred to them; and 
the rich are satisfied, that the poor be made equal to 
them — when rank, renders not the higher class proud ; 
nnd equality, renders not the lovver orders vain. In fine. 


Eccl. xxii. 31. t Phil. ii. 7. | John, xv. 15. ^ Rom. xv. I. 


82 


THE PRACTICE OF 


when we do not prefer great riches to good morals; and 
set not greater value on the power and pomp of the wick¬ 
ed, than on the uprightness, and simplicity of the virtu¬ 
ous. 

“ Charity envieth not” — He, who truly loves another, 
wishes him as much good, as to himself, and rejoices as 
mucli at the good fortune of his friend, as at his own. 
This effect of charily, is particularly exemplified in the 
Blessed. In lieaven, those who enjoy a less degree of 
beatitude, do not envy the happiness of others; on the 
contrary, they would wish to see it increased—if it 
were possible — And they who are highest in glory, 
would even share their own felicity with the less exalt¬ 
ed, that they might become equal, if not superior to 
them. Nor is this difficult to comprehend, when we 
consider that the love which some parents have for their 
children, makes them feel as much interest in their hap¬ 
piness, as in their own, and sometimes more. — If such 
can be the effects of pure, though natural love, on this 
earth, what are we not to expect from that, which unites 
the saints in heaven ? These blessed spirits, feel as much 
joy at another’s happiness, as at their own. True cha¬ 
rity, says St. Austin, ought to produce the same effect in 
us. Thus, he adds, without robbing another of what be¬ 
longs to him, and only by rejoicing in the good he does, 
we make all his merits, and all the good actions he per¬ 
forms, our own. Nor is there any thing in this to be 
wondered at; for, if it be true that we become guilty of 
the sin of another, when we rejoice at it, it is not strange 
that the joy, we take at the good of our neighbour, should 
make us participate in his merit *, particularly, since God 
is more disposed to reward, than to punish. Let us often 
consider — on the one hand, how excellent charity is, and 
what advantage we may derive from it; since by its 
means, and by the joy alone we experience at the good 
actions of our brethren, we may appropriate them to our¬ 
selves— on the other hand, let us take notice, how 
detestable and pernicious envy is; since it makes the 
prosperity of another, our own punishment. And these 
different motives will, doubtless, induce us to be as careful 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 83 

to fly the one, as we ought to be zealous to embrace the 
other. 

From what we have said, it necessarily follows, as 
the apostle adds, that “ Charity is not ambitious, and 
seeks not its own advantage.” Nothing is more contra¬ 
ry to fraternal charity than self-love, and the attach¬ 
ment which we naturally have to ourselves, and to our 
own ease. St. Ignatius calls it the mortal enemy of all 
kind of order and union; and though it is true that 
it is the common enemy of all virtues in general, yet it is 
also, in a particular manner, the enemy of charity. The 
very name of self-love gives us to understand this; be¬ 
cause the word self imports a formal exclusion of all kind 
of communication, and consequently, renders self-love en¬ 
tirely opposite to charity, which seeks nothing more than 
to communicate itself. Self-love wraps itself up totally 
within itself, and introduces division every where else: 
it thinks of nothing but itself, and turns every thing to its 
own advantage. When this is our ruling passion, we 
are apt to act as if we thought that others have no feel¬ 
ings, no personal interest, or, that they can have none, dif¬ 
ferent from our own. In other words, we become in¬ 
sensible to the wants of our fellow-creatures, and perfect 
strangers to all that concerns them. 

Nay, more, when we are under the influence of this 
absorbing passion, we look upon the misfortunes of oth¬ 
ers, as a gain to us, and we consider their happiness, as 
a loss, we sustain. We feel a malicious and secret satis¬ 
faction at their disappointment, and grieve at their suc¬ 
cess. Hence it is, that, when persons are more esteemed, 
and liked than ourselves, we endeavour to lower them in 
the opinion of others, by speaking of their faults, mis¬ 
construing their conduct, concealing their good quali¬ 
ties, and pretending to be ignorant of their virtues. All 
this, is nothing else than the natural consequence of self- 
love ; nothing but ambition, pride and envy ; and must 
needs,ultimately, destroy charity. For, “charity envi- 
eth not, is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, rcjoiceth 
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth.” 


84 


THE PRACTICE OF 


SECT. III. 

The effects and practice of charity — To think^ and speak 
well of others—JVot to carry tales and circulate evil 
reports — To use great mildness in our expressions — 
To avoid offensive railleries^ warm contentions^ unwar¬ 
rantable, and ill-timed reprimands — Cautions to per¬ 
sons engaged in works oj external charity. 

The charity which we ought to have for our neigh¬ 
bour, is not to be confined to the interior; but it should 
manifest itself exteriorly, in our actions. Even the infi¬ 
nite love of Christ for us, was attested by his sufferings, 
and his death : “ In this we have known the charity of 
God,” says St. John, “because he hath laid down his life 
for us.”* Hence, this Apostle, “ whom Jesus loved,” 
puts the question: “ He that shall see his brother in need, 
and shall shut up his bowels from him — how doth the 
charity of God abide in him .”’t then, concludes: 
“ Let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, 
and in truth.”| 

1. One of the principal things, which charity requires 
of us, is, to esteem our neighbour: and, in truth, it is 
upon this esteem, that its existence, and preservation de¬ 
pend. For charity is not a blind passion, the effect of 
caprice, or of a mere tenderness of heart: but it is a love 
of reason, a love of esteem, which springs from the 
love we have for God. This esteem for our brethren 
in Jesus Christ, prompts us to love, honor, and respect 
them,and to discharge towards them all the duties, which 
a similarity of nature and vocation, and the will of God, 
“who gave to every one commandment concerning his 
neighbour,”§ lay upon us. Let nothing he done through 
strife, nor by vainglory ;” says St. Paul, “ but, in humili¬ 
ty, let each esteem others better than himself.”|| The 
same apostle recommends to the Romans, to be the first 

* 1 Epist. iii. 16. t ib. iii. 17. J ib. iii. 18, 

\ Eccl. xvii. 12. II Phil. ii. 3. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


85 


i-n testifying tlieir regard, and esteem for their brethren: 
*Mn honour prcvxMiting one anothei*.’’* We ought not 
to wait till another begins, and makes the first advances 
towards us: wc should anticipate him, and, as it were, 
show him the way. Be glad, says St. Ignatius, to anti¬ 
cipate one another in good oHices, on all occasions. 

But to be more explicit on this point, I will remark, 
that one of the means whereby we should particularly 
show our regard for our brethren, is, always to speak 
well ot them, Wc read, in the life of St. Ignatius, that 
he spoke kindly and favorably, of all persons; so that, ev¬ 
ery one looked upon him as a friend ; and, in return, loved 
and respected him. Nothing contributes more to the im¬ 
provement of our charity towards any one, than to know 
that he loves us, has a good opinion of us, and speaks 
well of us on all occasions. In like manner, if we be 
kind to others, silent on their faults and imperfections, 
and ready to say all the gooil we can of them; they will 
be induced to speak to our advantage, and entertain 
friendly feelings towards us — Do you wish that others 
should do good to you.^ says St. Chrisoslom, do you 
good to them — Do you wish they should sympathise 
with you.? sympathise with them—Would you be prais¬ 
ed.? praise others: would you be loved.? love. Do you 
desire the tirst place.? begin, by yielding it to others. 

II. As wc ought to abstain from speaking ill of others, 
so when wc hear any one ill-spoken of, we should not 
immediately go and tell him what we have heard, and 
who it was that said it. For this would serve only to 
exasperate his mind, excite his resentment, and disturb 
'his peace. Such a conduct is detestable in the sight of 
the Lord: There are six things,” says the Wise Man, 
that the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth 
— him that soweth discord among brethren.’’f This 
vice is also abhorred by men : “ The tale bearer shall 
detile his own soul, and shall be hated by all.”| And 
in truth, what can be more pernicious, more destructive 
of the peace and happiness of society, than a mischiev- 

* Rom. 12. 10. fProT. vi. 16, 19. \ Eccl. 21, 31. 

8 


86 


THE PRACTICE OF 


ous tattler, whose only business seems to be, to raise 
disturbances, and create dissentions among others ? 

Kemark moreover, tlialin order to set two persons at 
variance, it is not necessary that the thing wc repeat, be 
important in itself. Sometimes a mere trifle, tlie least 
thing in the world, will have that unhappy etfect. There¬ 
fore, we should be very careful to examine, not only 
whether what we repeat, is important or not, in itself; 
but likewise, whether it be not apt to give pain to the per¬ 
son to whom we tell it, or to produce a misunderstand¬ 
ing between him and another. One will let fall a word 
rather equivocal, and which may seem to convey an un¬ 
favourable opinion of the talents, disposition, or charac¬ 
ter of some other person — you fortljwith, go and incon¬ 
siderately tell it over to that person. Perhaps, you im¬ 
agine that you have done no harm ; but you have hurt his 
feelings, you I'.ave indisposed him against the other: and 
it would be difiicult to say what will be the consequences 
of )^our imprudence — they may be fatal. “The words 
of a tale-bearer are, as it were, simple; but they reach 
to the innermost parts of the heart.”* There are things 
in matters of charity, of which some persons make no ac¬ 
count whatever: I know not in what light they view 
them, or if they view them at all; but I know, that to 
those wdio examine them properly, they appear to be of 
such importance, that, considering their evil tendency and 
bad effects, they have a just cause to fear lest they often 
amount to mortal sin. — The idle tales, and injurious re¬ 
ports of which I speak, are of this description : from 
thence arise, suspicions, rash judgments, and detractions 
— nay, calumny, hatred, and cruel revenge, can often be 
traced to the same source. 

But some wdll observe that it is sometimes proper that 
our neighbour should know^ w'bat is said against liim, in 
order that he may be more cautious, and either avoid do¬ 
ing what gives others a just cause of complaint, or vin¬ 
dicate his character from malicious aspersions and wan- 


* Prov. xxvi. 22. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


87 


ton attacks. 1 his is very true ; but we ought to content 
ourselves, in such cases, with telling what we have heard, 
without naming any one; even though the thing should 
have been said publicly, and would, of course, be likely 
to be repeated by others. Let not false notions of friend¬ 
ship, or an imprudent zeal for the reputation of our 
neighbour, ever make us transgress this rule, which pru¬ 
dence and charity prescribe. Let us, above all, take 
care that we are not induced to do so, by ill-will, envy, 
or jealousy towards the persons concerned. St. Austin 
gives great pra'ise to his mother, St. Monica, because, 
certain persons, who were at variance among themselves, 
having come separately to complain to her, with great 
bitterness, of one another, she never told any of them 
what the others bad said against them; but repeated 
only what she thought might soften their feelings, and 
contribute to their reconciliation. We ought to imitate 
her conduct—“•Blessed are the peace-makers : for they 
shall be called tlie children of God.”* But, woe to 
that man, by wdiom the scandal cometh.”t 

III. One thing most conducive to the preservation and 
increase of fraternal charily, is s^veetness in our conver¬ 
sation. “A sweet word multiplieth friends, and appeas- 
eth enemies.”!—“ A harsh w^ord stirreth up fury.”§ For 
such is human nature, that mild and kind language concili¬ 
ates friendship, and wins the heart; whilst rough and 
hasty expressions, hurt our feelings, and provoke us to 
anger. When a person is once irritated, he becomes lia¬ 
ble to give way to resentment, hatred, and the like pas¬ 
sions. 

It is therefore very important to accustom ourselves 
always to speak with great mildness and moderation, 
that, by tlie suavity of our conversation, we may gain 
the good will of all those who know us — ‘‘A man wise 
in words, shall make himself beloved.”|| — Let us be 
extremely cautious not to give offence to anyone, by our 
words and expressions. Nor is it difficult to know what 
words may offend our neighbour. Every one can know 

* Mg.t V. 9. f ib. xviii. 7. J Eccl. vi 5. § Prov. xv. 1. || Ecc. xx. 13. 


88 


THE PRACTICE OF 


this, by the rule which the Holy Gliost gives us in Eccle- 
siasticus: — “Judge of the disposition of thy neiglibour 
by thyself.’”^ Let us consult our ow n heart, see what 
would hurt our own feelings, Avound our pride, and con¬ 
clude, that the same must produce a siiuilar etfect in oth¬ 
ers. And let none imagine, because some pei sons are of 
a mild and forbearing disposition, that, theielore, there is 
no need of being so particular, wlien we speak to them. 
For it matters not for you, what they are, but what you 
ought to be, and how you should behave yourselves to¬ 
wards tliem. You say that they will not be angry at a 
trifling word, you will say to them — The more trifling 
it is, answers St. Bernard, the easier it is for you to re¬ 
frain from saying it. St. Chrysostom goes further, and 
says, that the more insignificant the thing is, the more 
grievous is the fault; for it is then, easier- to abstain from 
if, and, of course, moi*e cr iminal not to do so. Tr ue hu¬ 
mility would be the surest preservative against the abuse 
of the tongue: a person who thinks little of himself*, dis¬ 
trusts his judgment, and is conscious of his own impei'fec- 
tions, will not be. apt to find fault with his neighbour, nor 
be hai'sh, and severe with him. 

IV. Having laid down the genei'al rules, which ought 
to regulate our conduct in onr oidinai-y intei*course with 
our neighbour, 1 will sjreak of some, frarticular faults, 
which we should be ver*y careful to avoid, in conversa¬ 
tion, as being directly contrary to char-ity. 

In the first })lace, we ought to abstain from all mali¬ 
cious jesting, and sarcastic remarks on the per’son, man¬ 
ners, or peculiarities of our neighbour-. Much Avit may 
be evinced in these sorts of jokes arrd railler-ies, but they 
are altogether contrary to Christian charity. Nay, the 
wittier they are, the more lasting the impression Avhich 
they make on the minds of those Avho are the object of 
them, and the deeper the Avound they inflict on their 
hearts. Nor is this the only evil, Avhich arises from such 
unbecoming diver-sions: those Avho make a practice of 
them, are generally looked upon as unpleasant compaa- 


* Chap. xxxi. 18. 


CflRISTIAN PERFECTION 


89 


ions, and deserve to be excluded from good society. But, 
let this be as it may, it is certain that such persons are 
highly reprehensible in the sight of God. If we are to 
be brought to an account, on the day of judgment, for 
every “ idle word” we shall have said : how much more 
liable shall we not be to the scrutiny of divine justice, for 
those witticisms, by which our neighbour is molested, 
hurt, and scandalized. St. Paul places “ foolish talking,” 
and “scurrility” among the things which are not even to 
be named by Christians.* 

The next thing we should carefully avoid is, to enter 
into dispute and contention with any one. “Contend not 
in words,” says St. Paul, “ for it is to no profit, but to the 
subversion of the hearers — The servant of the Lord 
must not wrangle, but be gentle towawls all mcn.”t All 
the saints recommend the same thing to us. St. Doro- 
theus says, tliat he had rather things should be left un¬ 
done, than perceive any disputes or contests arise a- 
mongst brethren in doing them. St. Bonaventure atfirms, 
that there is nothing more unbecoming God’s servants, 
than to be at variance, and to contend with one another. 
And St. John Climachus assures us, that obstinacy, 
though in matter of truth, can come from none but the 
devil. And indeed, what often prompts a person to 
maintain his opinion, with warmth and acrimony, is the 
desire he has to be thought wiser than his opponent; ra¬ 
ther than the interest he takes in the subject of the dis¬ 
pute. The love of truth, is what he pretends, and per¬ 
haps fancies, to be the cause of his inflexibility, whilst 
he IS actually urged on, by pride and vanity. 

In such altercations and contentions, two sorts of faults 
may be committed. The first comes from him who be¬ 
gins to contradict another, and attacks him. The second, 
is to repel the aggression with too much warmth, and 
support what has been contradicted, with petulence and 
obstinacy. Both these faults are to be carefully avoided, 
if we wish to preserve charity; but the first, is certainly 
the greater of the two. Moreover, the subjects of such 


8 * 


Ephes. T< 8. 4. 


X 2 Tim. ii. U. 24. 



90 


THE PRACTICE OP 


disputes are sometimes so insignificant, that it ought to 
appear a matter of no consequence to the contending 
.parties, which of the two be in the right. A man, for 
instance, affirms a thing, which he really thinks to be 
true — if no immediate danger is to be apprehended from 
his assertion — let him enjoy his own opinion for the pre¬ 
sent, and w^ait until an opportunity presents itself to 
speak to him privately, and make him sensible of his mis¬ 
take, without hurting his feelings. There are persons 
who talk, and act, as if they were charged to set every 
• body right on any thing, that may happen to be mention¬ 
ed before them. Such disposition has its source either 
in a mistaken zeal, which ought to be enlightened and 
regulated, or, it originates in pride and presumption. In 
both cases, it is equally dangerous, though not equally cri¬ 
minal in itself: it produces a certain spirit of contradic¬ 
tion, which makes us find fault with every thing, and an¬ 
noy every body. 

To avoid contradicting, let us accustom ourselves to 
bear contradiction. It is b}^ no means necessary, that, 
on all occasions, we should maintain our opinions, and 
endeavour to make otliers adopt them. When a person 
disagrees with you upon matters of little, or no import¬ 
ance, give him your reasons for thinking as you do, with 
becoming mildness: after that, drop the conversation, as 
if y ou had nothing else to say on the subject. Let him 
believe v/hat he pleases; but take care not to show, that 
though you yield through politeness, and for the sake of 
peace, you still think yourself to be in the right. “ It is 
an honour for a man,” says Solomon in the Book of Pro- 
yerbs, “ to separate himself from quarrels and there 
is certainly, on many occasions, a great deal of merit in 
yielding to another, and letting him apparently, obtain 
the victory over us. For we then, practise humility, by 
overcoming the desire we generally have to make our 
own sentiment prevail; charity towards our neighbour, by 
not provoking him; and, the love of God, by removing 
the cause of many sins, which are usually committed in 


Chap. XX. 8. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


91 


the heat of dispute. “ A hasty contention kindleth a 
fire; and a hasty quarrel sheddeth blood.”* 

A third fault against charity, of wliicli I shall brief¬ 
ly take notice, is reprimanding, eitlier without due au¬ 
thority, or proper moderation. We ought never to as¬ 
sume the riglit of reprimanding persons, who are not, in 
any manner, under our charge; for, generally speaking, 
such persons are unwilling to give us that right: and if 
we take it, they will think that we meddle with what 
does not concern us, and that we are either influen¬ 
ced by interested motives, or carried away by an immo¬ 
derate zeal and a restless disposition. When we have 
good reasons to suppose that our neighbour will take in 
good part, what we might have to remark on his con¬ 
duct, we may then, admonish and try to correct him of 
his faults. But even in this case, we should wait for a 
favourable opportunity, and proceed with great caution 
and mildness. Ill-timed, and unwarrantable animadver¬ 
sions upon the conduct of others,^ are calculated to give 
rise to warm altercations, bitter repartees, and endless 
retaliations. We read that Socrates, dining one day with 
his friends, happened to reprehend one of the guests, ra¬ 
ther too severely : Plato, who was present, said to him — 
Would it not have been better for you, to have deferred 
this reproof to another time, and told him of his fault 
privately — And would you not, yourself, have done 
much better, replied Socrates, if you had not told me of 
mine publicly The altercation, between the philoso¬ 
pher and his disciple, probably ended here; but among 
men of less prudence and wisdom, it would probably 
have gone much further. For when two persons once 
begin to recriminate, it is difficult to tell when they will 
stop — and, at all events, they generally, do not, before 
charity has been often wounded, and more or less scan¬ 
dal given to those who happen to be present. Unsea¬ 
sonable and unjust reprehensions, are, for the most part, 
the effect of anger, impatience, ill-nature, and self-love. 
The more self-love we have, the more prone we are to 


-♦ Eccl. xxviii. 13. 


92 


THE PRACTICE OP 


censure others: this blind passion, hides our defects, and 
magnifies theirs. We blame with impatience, and cor¬ 
rect, without moderation, because our self-love cannot 
forgive the self-love of others. 

V. St. Basil gives excellent advice to those, \vho, 
either by duty or by their own choice, are engaged in 
works of mercy, and external charity: Take care, says 
he, that to hard labor of the body, you unite great 
sweetness of words. It is not enough that w'e take much 
pains in what we are doing for othei s, w e should also do 
it with a good grace, and in an obliging manner. It is 
thus, true charity acts: and her good offices are, thereby, 
always acceptable and pleasing. “My son,” says Ec- 
clesiasticus, “in thy good deeds, make no complaint: and 
when thou givest any thing, add not grief, by an evil 
word. Shall not the dew assuage the heat } so also 
the good word is better than the gift.”* So much de¬ 
pends on the manner in wdiich services are rendered, that 
if there be any thing faulty in it, they often lose all their 
merit, and sometimes become even offensive. When it is 
not in our power to grant the favor, wdiich may be ask¬ 
ed of us, we should take great care to show tinit it is not 
the want of good will, but impossibility, which makes 
us refuse it. Let good words, in such cases, supply the 
want of good deeds; so that our neighbour may have no 
reason to doubt our inelination to serve him, and be in¬ 
duced to be thankful, at least, for the kindness and good 
feeling, w^e evince towards him. Both those who are 
employed in W'orks of charity, and those wdio are the 
object of them, w'lll do well to follow the advice of 
the same saint: Would you know, he says, how you 
may derive great benefit from the services you render to 
others.^ —persuade yourselves that in serving them you 
gerve Jesus Christ, who has assured you, that, “ wffiat 
- you do to one of his brethren, you do to himself ”t And 
you, he adds, who receive kind services from your neigh- 
hour—receive them as a servant should those which his 
master would be willing to render him, and wdth the hu^ 


Chap, xriii. 15. 16. 


t Mat. XXV. 40. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


93 


mility, ^Yllich St. Peter manifested, wlien our Saviour 
wislud to wash his feet: “ Loid P’ lie exclaimed, ‘^dost 
thou wash my By these censiderations, charity 

will be more active, its exertions more zealous, its mo¬ 
tives the j)urest—and, on the other hand, its kind oHices 
will be received with more humility, and more gratitude. 


SECT. IV. 


How wc should behave ourselves^ lehen ice have cither re¬ 
ceived^ or given offence. 

However careful we may be of ourselves, we shall 
often be liable, in our intercourse with our fellow-be¬ 
ings, to have our feelings wounded, and to wound theirs: 
to give, and to lake oUhnce: to cause, and receive dis¬ 
pleasure. It will not, therefore, be amiss to remark how 
we should beliavc ourselves on these occasions. 

When any one speaks to us in a rude and unbecoming 
manner, we must lake care not to ansuer him in the 
same tone; but l;car his language with patience, and 
overlook it through humility. It is, certainly, much to 
be wished, that such causes of offence should never exist 
among Christians; hut as, unfortunately, this is not the 
case, it becomes the essential duly ol‘us all, to accustom 
ourselves not to lose our peace of mind, on such prov¬ 
ocations, and guard against saying, or doing any thing 
that might aggiavale the evil. When two hard bodies 
hit one another, they make a great noise; but if a hard 
body strikes against a soft one, it makes none at all. A 
cannon hall beats down a tower, with a terrible crash ; 
but if it be shot against a wool-sack, its force is deaden¬ 
ed, and quickly spent. I have alieady remarked it, in 
the words of Solomon : “ vV mild answer breakelh wrath; 
but a harsh word slirreth up fury.”t And the son of Si- 


* John xiii. 6, 


fProv.XY. I. 



94 


THE PRACTICE OF 


racli admonishes us, “ to strive not with a man full of 
longue, and heap not wood upon Ins fire.”* 

The precise mode of answering those who provoke us 
by harsf) language, unbecoming reproofs, or unfounded 
reproaches, cannot easily be ])rescribed: it must he de¬ 
termined according to the ])eculiarities of the circum¬ 
stances of persons, places, and time, in which we tind 
ourselves. I have laid down the general principles upon 
wdiich we should act, in these painful occurrences: let 
every one, in applying them to his own case, be guided 
by the rules of prudence, tempered with charity and hu¬ 
mility. We read that St. Dorotheus, on such occasions, 
used to say: Dear brother ! pardon me, and pray for 
me.” And, doubtless, this would be an efficient means of 
preventing disputes, and shortly settling matters. 

But if unmindful of these holy rules, we should ever 
forget ourselves on these occasions, and give way, at first, 
to the impetuosity of our temper, so as to recriminate, 
and begin a dispute ; we ought, immediately to recol¬ 
lect ourselves : and by a proper apology, and even by 
asking pardon, endeavour to bring about a speedy recon¬ 
ciliation; lest, against the precept of St. Paul, “the sun 
should go down upon our anger.”t Nothing hut humili¬ 
ty, says St. Bernard, can repair a breach of charity. 

From what I have said on the conduct we should 
observe, when any one'has offended us, or given us any 
cause of being displeased with him, we may draw three 
practical conclusions. The first is, that we ought to re¬ 
frain from giving way, in the least, to a spirit of revenj;e. 
Enough of harm has already been done ; let us not be the 
occasion of more. “ Render to no man evil for evil.”J 
However, when I speak of revenge, I do not mean that 
cruel passion, which rejoices in Uie sufferings of others, 
and is always bent upon doing injury; the enormity of 
the sin is sufficient, in this case, to deter any one, who is 
not lost to every sense of religion and humanity. I al¬ 
lude to a certain vindictive disposition that shows itself 
in matters, which we are apt to imagine not to be very 


* Bed. viii. 4. 


t Eph, iv. 26. 


\ Rom. xii. 17, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


95 


important, and in which, our pride and self-love see ei¬ 
ther no great sin, or no sin at all. One will say : I wish 
that person no harm; but I should be glad to get an op¬ 
portunity to show him, and make him feet the impropri¬ 
ety of his behaviour to me. Another will rejoice at some 
censure, which the person with whom he had a falling 
out, may receive from others. A third, will feel a secret 
satisfaction at the disappointment, or slight injury, expe¬ 
rienced by those who have incurred his displeasure. 
Now, all this is more or less contrary to charity, and 
may be deservedly called revenge.. Whoever cherishes 
such sentiments as these, has not pardoned his neighbour 
from his heart; and ought to have a scruple, when he says 
to God: ‘‘ Forgive us our trespaj^es, as we forgive 
them that trespass against us.” Therefore, when any 
one has offended you, “ Say not, I will do to him, as he 
hath done to me;”^ I will treat him as he has treated me ; 
for this proceeds from anger, and a desire of being reven- 
ged. 

Let us guard also against another very delicate temp¬ 
tation, by which many are deceived, who, upon pretence 
that they feel no hatred towards those who have offend¬ 
ed them, do not lake the proper means to bring about a 
true reconciliation: refuse to see those with whom they 
had been intimate, and are not willing to speak with their 
former acquaintances. How different is this mode of 
acting, from the line of conduct prescribed by St. Paul to 
the Ephesians! “Let all bitterness,” he says, “ and an¬ 
ger, and indignation, be taken away from you, with all 
malice — Be ye kind, one to another, merciful, forgiving 
one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.”t 
That is to say, forgive all from the bottom of your heart; 
for it is thus," that God forgives us, when we sincerely 
repent, and are truly converted. He is no longer angry 
with us, and treats us with as much goodness as he did 
before; he is as kind to us as if we had never offended 
him; and, far from reproaching us with our past trans¬ 
gressions, he even forgets them : “ And their sins and in- 


* Prov. xxiv. 29. 


t Chap. iv. 31, 32. 


06 


THE PRACTICE OP 


iquilies 1 will remember no more.”* ‘‘ He w ill cast all 
our sins into the boltom of the sea.”t ll is after this 
manner, you ought to Ibi-giv'e. If you do not, fear the 
punishment of the unmerciful sei vant whom his master 
delivered up to the executioners; for, ‘‘So also shall my 
heavenly Father do to you,” says our Lord, “ if you for¬ 
give not, every one his brotlier, from your hearts.”J 
“ Forgive, and you shall be forgiven— for with the same 
measure that you shall measure, it shall be measured to 
you again ”§ 

In the third place; let us, 'with the utmost care, avoid 
entertaining prejudices against any one. There are per¬ 
sons of a suspicious disi)osition, who find iault with eve¬ 
ry thing: they labor under a kind of morbid feeling, 
which lets them enjoy no peace with themselves, or oth¬ 
ers; and is no less destructive of their own personal hap¬ 
piness, than of fraternal charily. To overcome this evil 
disposition, and escajie the temptations into which it na¬ 
turally leacls, we should, in the fii-st place, ackno\vledge 
and deplore it; and, afterwards, use all our cndeavouc.s, 
not to suffer it to have the least influence on our conduct 
towards our neighbour. Whatever may be our feelings, 
let us accustom ourselves to act according to our duty; 
and treat every one, ns he has a right to be treated. Oth¬ 
ers ought not to suffer and be molested, because we are 
angry, ill disposed, or prejudiced against them. On llie 
contrary, when we are displeascfl with any one, and feel 
a kind of aversion to him, we should be more particular 
in w'atching over ourselves, lest we might say something 
to him, that would give liim offence, and show' resent¬ 
ment. If, according to the command given us in the gos¬ 
pel, we ought to “do good to them which hate us,”|| how 
much more arc we obliged to be indulgent and kind to 
those who have incurred our displeasure, by our fault, 
perhaps, as much as by their ow'n! who have offended us 
through human frailty, rather than malice, and ill-will! 
But, however this may be, and whatever may have been 

• H^b. X. n. I Mich vii. 19. J M.it. xviii. 35. 

§ Lulte, vi. 37, 38. )( ib. vi. 27. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


97 


the motives of the conduct of your neighbour towards 
you — “if it be possible,” says St. Paul, “as much as it 
is in you—have peace with all men.”* — “ Be not over¬ 
come by evil, but overcome evil by good.”t 


SECT. V. 

Rash judgments^ and uncharitable suspicions — Their 
causes^ and remedies. 

I. “ Why dost thou judge thy brother.^ or why dost 
thou despise thy brother .?”| Of all the means that the 
enemy of our salvation uses, to disturb the peace and hap¬ 
piness of society, one of the most ethcacious, is rash 
judgment. Thereby good feelings are lost, and charity 
grows cold. Even uncharitable suspicions, ought to be 
carefully avoided, if we are desirous to be upon good 
good terms with our fellow-beings. For St. Austin calls 
them. The poison of friendship; and St. Bonaventure, A 
secret, but most dangerous plague, that drives God from 
us, and tears in pieces fraternal charity. 

Rash judgments are injurious to our neighbour, by les¬ 
sening, and sometimes destroying, without a sufficient 
cause, the good opinion which we had of him. They 
render us guilty of injustice towards him; for every one 
has a right to our esteem and good will, until he proves 
himself unworthy of them. The better to understand 
the nature of the evil done by rash judgments, consider 
what a sin it would be to blacken a person’s character, 
and cause him to lose the esteem of others."^ Now, 
you do your neighbour the same injury, when, without a 
sufficient cause, you conceive a bad opinion of him; for 
he is as anxious to enjoy your esteem, as he is that of 
any body else. We may also easily know the injury we 
do to our neighbour, by judging him rashly, if we exam¬ 
ine our own feelings, when others entertain a bad opinion 

• Rom. xii. 18, 

9 


t Ib. xii. 21. 


tib. xiv. 10. 



98 


THE PRACTICE OP 


of US, without our ever having given them any cause for 
it. Let us judge of our neighbour from ourselves; for 
such is tiie rule, which chanty and justice prescribe. 
Persons of a timorous conscience must however observe, 
that there is a vast difference between being tempted to 
judge rashly, and yielding to the temptation, when it pre¬ 
sents itself. It is not the temptation itself, but the con¬ 
sent we give to it, that constitutes the offence. It would 
undoubtedly be much better, not to be liable to have un¬ 
charitable thoughts about our neighbours; yet, after all, 
as St. Bernard says, a thought does not render us guilty, 
so long as we give no consent to it, and are not over¬ 
come by the temptation. Although, with regard to 
thoughts that are injurious to our neighbour, it is neces¬ 
sary moreover to remark, that we ought never to commu¬ 
nicate them to others, unless justice, or charity requires 
it. A diflei ent conduct would be likely to raise unchari¬ 
table suspicions in their minds, and to confirm those, 
which they might already entertain. 

Three things are requisite, to judge lawfully — autho¬ 
rity, knowledge, and integrity; authority, to be allowed 
to judge; knowledge, to know how to judge; integrity, 
not to be biassed. Now, in rash judgments, these three 
conditions are wanting. That knowledge is wanting, and 
that, of course, we must be prompted by some improper 
motive or other, is evident, from their being rash; nor 
could authority, if it existed, be lawfully exercised, un¬ 
der such circumstances. But it does not exist: he 
who judges his neighbour, usurps Ore authority of God, 
encroaches upon his rights, and assumes a power that he 
has reserved to himself. “ Who art thou,” says St. Paul, 
“that judgest another’s servant.^”* Whether he acts 
right or wrong, it is not yours to investigate: “To his 
own master, he standeth, or falleth.”t That is to say, 
according to the explanation of St. Chrysostom: Why 
do you judge of what does not concern you, and go be¬ 
yond the limits, within which. Divine Providence and 
your situation, confine your jurisdiction > Is that person, 

t ibid. 


• Rom. xiv. 4. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


&9 

whom you censure and condemn, any ways accountable 
to you? Have you any right, or superiority over him? 
Are you answerable for his conduct? If it were so, I 
would be willing that you should judge him; and 1 would 
then teach you, with what charity and prudence, you 
should proceed in so delicate a matter. But if this be 
not the case, leave him in the hands of his natural judge; 
and respect the right which he has to be judged by none 
but God, or those, whom God has appointed to watch 
over him. If his action is not censurable, and you con¬ 
demn him, you do him injustice; and if he is guilty of the 
fault for which you condemn him, you commit an injus¬ 
tice against God, by assuming a power which belongs to 
him alone. “ There is one lawgiver, and judge,” says 
St. James, “ who is able to destroy and to deliver. But 
who art thou, who judgest thy neighbour?”* 

But if it be a sin to judge and condemn others, upon 
slight suspicions, to which their equivocal conduct may 
give rise, how much more criminal would it be to do so, 
when their actions are upright, and leave no room for 
censure? It is, however, what some do, who, not being 
able to find fault with the conduct of their neighbour, will 
misconstrue his motives, and question the purity of his 
intentions ; who will call firmness of principles, bigotry; 
charitable deeds, ostentation; the practice of religious 
duties, hypocrisy, &c. This, in the language of inspira¬ 
tion, is “ to become judges of unjust thoughts ;”t and act 
the part of the envious man, who, “ like a soothsayer, 
thinketh that which he knovveth not.”J 

To conclude: “Judge not, and you shall not be judg¬ 
ed : condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.”§ 
Judge not; because your neighbour is not accountable to 
you ; but you are both amenable to the same tribunal: 
“ We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ 
— every one of us shall render an account for himself to 
God.”|| Judge not your neighbour; because you do not 
know him sufficiently; you do not see his intention, 

* Chap. iv. 12. t St. James, ii. 4. J Pror. xxiii. 7, 

Ti. 37. ^ Rom. xiv. 10. 12, 


100 


THE PRACTICE OP 


which perhaps justifies him: and if his crime be mani¬ 
fest, you cannot know, whether he will not repent, or has 
not already repented for it. He fell, do you say ^ —but, 
he may rise again, and “ there shall be joy before the 
angels of God upon his doing penance;”* if so, “who 
shall lay any thing to the charge of the elect of God 
He fell — but he may, by a true conversion, have been 
restored to the favor of his Maker; and, “ if God is for 
him, who will dare be against him ?”J Will you still 
insist, you can judge, at least, from his present conduct, 
that he will soon fall againi*—But he will not fall: “he 
shall stand,” says St. Paul; “ for God is able to make 
him stand.”§ 

II. Pride, which is “ the beginning of all sin,”|| is al¬ 
so the most fertile source of rash judgments. And, what 
is most deplorable, is, that those who think they have 
made great advances in the way of perfection, are more 
frequently tempted to censure others. They imagine 
that they have received great spiritual gifts, and, instead 
of being the more humble for it, they are puffed up with 
greater pride: the good opinion they have of themselves, 
makes them look with contempt on others; and they 
seem to have acquired a right to judge every, body. The 
saints say, that simplicity is the daughter of humility ; 
for he who is truly humble, has not his eyes open to the 
faults of his neighbour; but considers his own: and he 
finds so many things to deplore in himself, that he is not 
tempted to bestow his attention on the imperfections of 
others. The consideration of our own faults and spirit¬ 
ual infirmities, would, therefore, be an excellent preserv¬ 
ative against the temptation of rash judgment. It would 
also be productive of other most beneficial results: hu¬ 
mility, the fear of God, the spirit of recollection, and 
peace of mind, would be its happy effects. On the con¬ 
trary, the habit of observing the faults of others, is often 
the cause of many evils: it produces suspicions, rash 
judgments, contempt, and a thousand other faults, which 
disturb, and defile the soul. When you cannot help 

• Luke, xy. 10. f Rom. yiii. 33.. J ib. vUi 31. ^ib. xiv. 4, l[EccL 15, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


101 


perceiving the faults of your neighbour, do not waste 
your time in investigating the nature and extent of his of¬ 
fence ; but look to yourself: leave him to the judgment 
of his conscience, and examine your own. You will of¬ 
ten find yourself guilty of the same transgressions, prone 
to the same evils, that you noticed in him: pronounce, 
then, upon yourself, the condemnation which you have 
been tempted to pronounce upon him. 

Rash judgments do also often proceed, immediately, 
from the very corruption of our heart—judging of the 
disposition of others by our own, we easily think them 
guilty of what we are apt to do ourselves. “ A fool,” 
says Ecclesiastes, “when he walketh in the way, where¬ 
as he himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.”* Ob¬ 
jects seen through a colored glass, appear of the same 
color as the glass; so a wicked man judges others to be 
like himself. As he views their conduct through a defec¬ 
tive medium, and in an improper light, he puts a wrong 
construction on every thing they do. He supposes them 
to be led by the same motives that guide him ; he bestows 
his intentions upon them ; and thus, betrays the corrup¬ 
tion of his heart. “ Wherefore, thou art inexcusable, O 
man! whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein 
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou 
doest the same things which thou judgest.”t On the con¬ 
trary, a virtuous man interprets the actions of others in 
the best manner he can — if he cannot excuse the act, 
he excuses the intention. We read of St. Ignatius, that 
when an action was so evidently bad, that he could not ex¬ 
cuse it upon any ground whatever, he suspended his judg¬ 
ment, and said to himself, in the language of scripture: 
“Judge not before the time”J — “Man seeth those 
things that appear; the Lord beholdeth the heart.”§ 
“ Who art thou, that judgest another’s servant? To his 
own master he standeth or falleth.”|| 

To the causes of rash judgments, which we have al¬ 
ready mentioned, St. Thomas adds envy, jealousy, or 

• Chap. X. iii. t Rom. ii. 1. t 1 Cor. ir. 6. 

§ 1 Kings, zvi. 7. |{ Rom. zir. 4. 


9* 


m 


THE PRACTICE OP 


some secret aversion. For we easily believe what is 
pleasing to us; and as we naturally feel a certain satisfac¬ 
tion in the faults of him who is the object of these pas¬ 
sions, the consequence is, that we judge him without 
mercy, and condemn him unjustly, upon the least suspi¬ 
cion. The truth of this assertion will be rendeied more 
striking, by being contrasted with the effects produced on 
our judgments by strong attachment. When we love a 
person dearly, we approve all he does; and far from 
magnifying his faults, if, at times, we cannot help per¬ 
ceiving them, we try all we can to extenuate, and excuse 
them. The same fault, accompanied with the same cir¬ 
cumstances, we judge to be highly criminal, in those we 
dislike, and a pardonable imperfection, in those we love. 
And daily experience teaches us, that there are persons 
from whom we can take nothing in good part, whilst, at 
the same time, we bear with many things from others, 
without being in the least offended, or displeased. Hence 
this maxim of the Wise Man: “Hatred stirreth up 
strifes, and charity covereth all sins.”* So that we may 
say with truth, that it is the want of charily, which makes 
us judge others rashly. This w^ant of charity is also the 
cause why we are sometimes offended with many things 
in them, which are no fault at all. When we feel a dis¬ 
like to a person, his air, his gesture, his conversation, 
and even his good qualities, are displeasing to us. 

Remark moreover the artifice of the devil, who en¬ 
deavours to make us lose the esteem we ought to have 
for virtuous persons, and the benefit we might derive 
from their good example, on account of mere trifles, and 
imperfections, from which the most holy are not always 
exempt in this world. “ A just man shall fall seven 
times, and shall rise again.”t “ And if we say that we 
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is notin 
us.”| Why then should those faults, deprive our neigh¬ 
bour of our esteem and good will, which do not deprive 
him of the grace and love of his God ? Christian chari¬ 
ty has stronger ties, and more solid foundation, tbau 

• Prov. X. 12. f ib. xxir. 16. J 1 John, i. 8. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


103 


worldly friendship: it is founded upon God, and partakes 
of the stability of the love, which he himself has for us. 
If then, he, who is Lord and Master, is not angry with 
the conduct of our fellow* bei ngs; why are we, his serv¬ 
ants, and their equals, displeased and ottended.** Not¬ 
withstanding these imperfections, which irritate us against 
our neighbour, God loves him, and continues to be¬ 
stow his favors upon him ; why shall we act differently 
towards him ? No; — “ If God hath so loved us,” says 
the beloved disciple, “ we ought also to love one anoth¬ 
er and, doubtless, after the same manner. 

Let us also observe, with St. Gregory, that God 
sometimes refuses minor graces to those on whom he 
lavishes his choicest gifts. In the wise disposition of his 
adorable providence, he leaves them to contend with ma¬ 
ny foibles and weaknesses, that they may become more 
and more humble and vigilant, and thereby preserve the 
great favors, which they have received. Remember, 
adds the same saint, that he in whom you remark such 
imperfections, nray, for all this, be perfect; and that you 
may also be very imperfect, though you are free from 
them. This consideration will enable you to preserve 
humility with regard to yourself, charity towards your 
neighbour, and to avoid rash judgments. 

The following historical illustrations, have a reference 
to the important truths contained in this section. It is 
related that St. Dorotheas used to say to his Religious: 
If when you enter the cell of one of your brothers, you 
find every thing in confusion, think that he is so absorb¬ 
ed in God, that he does not mind external things; and, if 
you perceive he keeps every thing neat, and in its pro¬ 
per place, believe that he takes as much care of his in¬ 
terior, as he does of the exterior. 

St. Arsenius being sick, a priest of a neighbouring 
parish came to visit him, together wdth an ancient her¬ 
mit, who, finding him lying upon a carpet, with his head 
resting on a pillow, and not knowing what he had 
been in the world, was scandalized to see a man so 


• 1 John, 4. 11. 


104 


THE TRACTICE OP 


famed for sanctity treat himself with so much delicacy. 
The priest, who was a prudent man, perceived this im¬ 
mediately, and taking him aside. Pray, father! tell me, 
said he, what kind of life did you lead, before you be¬ 
came a hermit.? The old man answered, that being al¬ 
ways very poor, his life was much the same as that he 
lead at present. Know then, replied the priest, that Ar¬ 
senins, before he came to the desert, was a man of high 
rank, very rich, and a great favourite of the emperor, to 
whom he had also been tutor. Consider he has forsaken 
all these things to embrace poverty and humility, and 
judge, if for a man who has been brought up in abun¬ 
dance and luxury, and who, at present, is worn out with 
age and sickness, it is too great a delicacy to have a 
pillow and carpet to lie upon. The hermit, hearing this, 
conceived a great esteem for the sanctity of Arsenius, 
and was greatly confused and mortified for what he had 
said. 

Abbot Anastasius, who lived at the time of the 
sixth general council, relates, that in the monastery of 
Mount Sinah, of which he was superior, there lived a 
religious, who omitted to attend the spiritual exercises of 
the community so often, that his brethren entertained a 
very bad opinion of him. However, during his last ill¬ 
ness, he not only expressed no fear, but, on the contrar)?-, 
manifested a great joy, at the approach of death. The 
Abbot astonished and alarmed at his apparent presump¬ 
tion, reprimanded him severely: How can you, said he 
to him, enjoy so much peace and tranquility of mind, af¬ 
ter the life you have led, now that you are about to give 
an account to God for the neglect of your religious duties.? 
— Father! replied the sick man, be not astonished. 
Our Lord has sent his angel, to assure me of my salva¬ 
tion, and that he will keep the promise, w^hich he made, 
when he said : “ Judge not, and you shall not be judged; 
condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.”* It is 
true, that in consequence of the weakness of my health, 
or through carelessness, 1 have not complied very exact-* 


* Luke. vi. S7. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


105 


ly with all the duties of the community ; but I always 
bore patiently the bad treatment which I received from 
my bretiiren, on that account; I forgave them with all 
my heart; I never pretended to judge, and condemn them. 
It is this, Father! which, at present, gives me so much 
joy and comfort. 


!06 


THE PRACTICE OP 


CHAPTER V. 


ON PRAYER. 


SECT. I. 

The excellence — necessity^ and—facility of prayer> 

I. Holt Scripture gives us a sublime idea of prayer, 
in the Various comparisons which it uses, to describe its 
excellence, and efficacy. “ Let my prayer be directed 
as incense in thy sight, and the lifting up of my hands, as 
evening sacrifice.”^ “ The prayer of him that humbleth 
himself shall pierce the clouds—and he will not depart 
till the most High behold.”t “ The four and twenty An¬ 
cients fell down before the Lamb,” says St. John, “hav¬ 
ing every one of them harps, and golden vials full of 
odours, which are the prayers of the saints.”| Again: 
“ And another angel came, and stood before the altar, 
having a golden censor; and there was given to him much 
incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints 
upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. 
And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints, 
ascended up before God, from the hand of the angel.”§ 

What is more excellent than prayer.? says St. Austin, 
what more profitable in this life? wdiat more sweet to the 
mind ? what more sublime in religion ? St. Gregory of 
Nice, is of the same opinion: Of all things that are es¬ 
teemed and valued in this life, he says, none are to be 
preferred to prayer. 

• ?§. cil. 2. t Eccl, XXXV. 21. ♦ Apo. v. 8. §ib. viii, 4 , 




CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


107 


The angels are always near the servants of God to 
defend them against the snares of the devil, and deliver 
them from danger: “He hath given his angels charge 
over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways:* The angel of 
the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him, 
and shall deliver them.”t But they favor us, more par¬ 
ticularly, with their presence and protection, says St. 
Bernard, when we are at our prayers : and he supports 
this assertion by several texts from scripture. Take 
these two : “ I will sing praise to thee, in the sight of the 
angels.”! “ When thou didst pray with tears;” said the 
angel to Tobias, “ I offered thy prayers to the Lord.”§ 
We see by this last passage, that prayer no sooner goes 
out of our mouth, than the angels, who are near us, re¬ 
ceive it, and offer it to God. The angels, says St. Hila¬ 
ry, preside at the prayers of the faithful, and daily offer 
them to God. So that, when we are at our prayers, we 
are in the midst of angels; we commence here on earth, 
what w’e shall do eternally with them, in heaven: hence 
those blessed spirits, viewing us as their associates, des¬ 
tined to fill the places of their fallen companions, favor 
us then, more particularly than at any other time. St. 
Chrysostom writes thus, on the excellence, and efficacy 
of prayer: Consider what a happiness and glory it is 
for you, to be allowed to speak with God, commune with 
Christ, desire what you please, and ask what you desire. 
No language can sufficiently express how valuable is this 
intercourse between God and man; no tongue is able to 
enumerate the many advantages which we can derive 
from it. If our minds and hearts are improved in the 
company of the wise and virtuous, what blessings are vve 
not to expect from frequent communications with God, 
in fervent piayers.^ “ Come ye to him,” says the royal 
prophet, “and be enlightened — O taste! and see that 
the Lord is sweet.”|| By frequently communing with 
the divine goodness, the heart of man is enlarged, its af¬ 
fections are purified and elevated: and rising above all 

• Pa. cix. 11. t ib. uziii. 8. J ib. czzxvii. 2. 

^ Tob. xii. 12. fl Ps. xxxiii. 6. 9. 


108 


THE PRACTICE OP 


created objects, it becomes spiritual, and is, as it were, 
transformed into God. 

II. We have but too much experience of the need we 
have of prayer; and would to God that this experience 
were less frequent than it is ! Man being subject to so 
many frailties, finding himself encompassed by so many 
enemies, and standing in need of so many things, both for 
soul and body, should have a continual recourse to 
God, implore his assistance, and tell him, in the w'ords 
of king Josaphat, when the Ammonites and Moab¬ 
ites had united against him: “ O God! we have not 
strength enough to be able to resist — But as we know 
not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to thee.* I 
know not, says Pope Celestine, speaking of the import¬ 
ance of prayer, how to say any thing better to you upon 
this subject, than what Zosimus, my predecessor, told 
you : When is it, says he,‘that we stand not in need of 
the divine assistance ^ Therefore on all sorts of occa¬ 
sions and affairs, let us always have recourse to God; 
for it would be an insupportable pride, in man, to pre¬ 
sume that he can do any thing of himself. 

St. Thomas, wishing to prove the necessity of prayer, 
gives an excellent reason, w hich is founded upon this 
principle, that what God has, from all eternity, determin¬ 
ed to give us, for the benefit of our souls, he gives, in 
time, by means of prayer. For, as it is the order and 
disposition of Divine Providence that the earth should 
become fruitful, by the care which is taken to cultivate it; 
so it is the order and disposition of the same Providence, 
that souls should obtain many graces and lights, by means 
of prayer. Christ says in the Gospel: ‘‘ Ask, and it 
shall be given you; seek, and you shall find ; knock, and 
it shall be open to you. For every one that asketh, re- 
ceiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that 
knocketh, it shall be opened.”t Prayer is therefore the 
channel through which God communicates his favors, as¬ 
sists us in our necessities, and enriches us with his trea¬ 
sures. Some compare it to a golden chain, which unites 


2 Paral. xx. 12. 


t Mat vii. 7. 8. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


109 


heaven, and earth : by its means, the graces of God come 
down upon us, and we are raised up to him. We may 
say it is Jacob’s ladder, by which angels continually as¬ 
cend and descend, to carry our petitions to God, and 
bring back his blessings to us. St. Austin calls it, The 
key of Heaven — it opens the way to the mansions of 
bliss, and unlocks the treasures of divine mercy. 

The necessity of prayer is evinced by the same argu¬ 
ments, that establish the necessity of grace. Without 
the grace of the Redeemer, we cannot work out our sal¬ 
vation ; therefore, without prayer there is no salvation: 
because, faith teaches us, that except the first grace, 
which is not dependent on prayer, prayer is the efficacious 
and universal means whereby God wishes us to obtain 
all other graces. ‘‘ Ask, and it shall be given you this 
is the rule laid down by Jesus Christ. Hence it follows, 
says St. Thomas, that all confidence in God, which is not 
founded on prayer, or, if I can use the. expression, au¬ 
thorized by prayer, is vain, rash, and reprobated. The 
reason is, says the same saint, that God, who owes us 
nothing in justice, and who cannot possibly owe us any 
thing otherwise than in consequence of his mercy and 
fidelity to his promises, has bound himself by these two 
attributes, to give us his grace, on the express condition 
that we shall ask for it. Therefore, he can, without in¬ 
justice, and consistently with his fidelity and mercy, 
withhold his graces from us, when we do not pray to 
him. Not only he can, but in the ordinary course of 
providence, he ought, in some manner, to withhold them; " 
because, graces so valuable as his are, remarks St.Chry- 
sostom, graces so important as those which lead us to 
heaven, are at least well worth the trouble it may cost us 
to ask for them earnestly, and with perseverance. 

Another consideration, which evidently shows the 
need we have of prayer, is, that it is a most efficacious 
means to regulate our conduct, and to surmount the ob¬ 
stacles which we meet with in the practice of virtue. He 
who knows how to pray, knows how to live, says St. 
Austin. St. Climacus relates that a faithful servant of 
God once told him, that he knew,in the morning, how he 
10 


no 


THE PRACTICE OF 


would spend the day: When I have said my prayers 
well, he remarked, the rest of the day corresponds to 
that good beginning; but when I acquit myself of that es¬ 
sential duty negligently, 1 feel disquieted in mind, during 
the whole day. Effects similar to that produced on this 
holy man by neglects, which his humility probably mag¬ 
nified, are often experienced by those who pay any at¬ 
tention to what passes in their own hearts. They general¬ 
ly find, that when they have faithfully performed their de¬ 
votions, in the morning, they enjoy throughout the day 
greater peace and tranquillity of mind: they discharge 
their other duties with more fidelity ; are more patient, 
charitable, and resigned. On the contrary, if they cur¬ 
tail, omit, or hurry over their morning exercises, they 
soon feel the sad effects of their negligence in this essen¬ 
tial duty: they become less circumspect, less watchful, 
and their passions gain, at last, the ascendancy over 
their former resolutions. Well might they say, in the 
figurative language of the psalmist: “ We are smitten 
as grass, and our hearts are withered ; because we for¬ 
got to eat our bread.”* For, as the body is supported 
by food, so the soul is nourished by meditation and 
prayer. 

Abbot Nilus says that mental prayer ought to be our 
mirror: that we should daily view ourselves in it, so as 
to know our faults, and the means of correcting them. 
Without the grace of prayer, says St. Francis, we can¬ 
not hope to be able to make any progress in the ser¬ 
vice of God. St. Thomas of Villanova affirms that pray¬ 
er is to the soul, what natural heat is to the stomach. 
For as by means of this heat, the food we take is con¬ 
verted into a nourishing juice, which imparts vigor and 
health to our bodies; so in like manner, meditation and 
prayer, enable us to turn every thing to the spiritual ad¬ 
vantage of our souls : they are one of the means by which, 
“ to them that lovte God, all things work together un¬ 
to good.” t Again, as animal life must cease, when this 
vital heat exists no more; so, the spiritual life of our 
souls, cannot subsist without prayer. 


♦Ps. ci. 5. 


t Rom. viii. 28. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


Ill 


III. The saints, who understood the excellence and 
necessity of prayer, gave incessant thanks to God, who 
rendered its practice so easy, that it is in every one’s 
power to apply to it, at all times, and in all places: 

Prayer to the God of my life, is with me,”* says the 
psalmist —“ I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise 
shall be always in my mouth.”t — O God ! my God, to 
thee do I watch at the break of day — in a desert land, 
and where there is no way, and no water", so in the sanc¬ 
tuary, have I come before thee — Thus will I bless thee, 
all my life long.”;]: The Lord is always willing, always 
ready, to hear, and help us: “ The Lord is nigh unto 
them that call upon him — He will do the will of them 
that fear him; and he will hear their prayers, and save 
them.”§ The most wealthy and generous among men, 
are sometimes unable to assist their fellow creatures; be¬ 
cause, how great soever their means may be, yet, they 
are diminished, and can, at last, be exhausted, by their 
liberality to many. But, “ the Lord,” says St. Paul, “is 
rich to all that call upon him..”|| The invitation, not to 
say the precept, is general, and unlimited: “ Ask, and 
you shall receive.”^ — “Evening, and morning, and at 
noon,” says the royal prophet, “ I will speak and declare 
(my wants) ; and he shall hear my voice.”*^ Let us, 
therefore, with sentiments of the most lively gratitude to 
God, humbly and incessantly avail ourselves of so effica¬ 
cious a means as prayer is, to obtain his blessings and his 
graces. Let us rest assured, as St. Austin remarks, on 
these words of the psalmist, “ Blessed be God, who hath 
not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me,”tt 
that if the Lord does not deprive us of the spirit of 
prayer, he will never withdraw his mercy from us : and, 
in order that his mercy may not forsake us, let us never 
abandon the practice of prayer. 

* Ps. xli. 9. f ib. xxxiii. 2. | ib. Ixii. 2. 3. 5. ^ ib. cxliv. 18. 19. 

I R,oai. X. 12, 11 John, xvi. 24, ** Ps. xliy. 18. ^fib. Iv. 20. 


112 


THE PRACTICE OP 


S E C T. 11. 

Mental prayer. 

What I have said in the foregoing section, is applica¬ 
ble to prayer, in general, whether vocal or mental: I 
shall, now, lay aside vocal prayer, and treat only of 
mental prayer, of which St. Paul speaks, when he says: 
“ I will pray in the spirit, I will pray also in the under¬ 
standing; I will sing with the spirit, 1 will sing also with 
the understanding.”* There are two sorts of mental 
prayers: the one is ordinary and easy ; the other, extra¬ 
ordinary and sublime. The first can, in some measure, 
be taught, but the second cannot; for we do not so much 
form it in ourselves, as the Holy Ghost forms it in us. 
Thus we read, that St. Anthony, having gone to his 
prayers in the evening, often continued them till the next 
morning, and then, complained that the sun rose too ear¬ 
ly, and deprived. him of the heavenly lights, which the 
Lord imparted to him. This sort of mental prayer, is a 
particular gift of God, which he communicates to whom 
he pleases. Sometimes, it is true, he bestows it as a re¬ 
compense for what we have done or suffered for him; 
but sometimes it is entirely gratuitous, and has no I’efer- 
ence to our past conduct. 

The two sorts of prayers which we are considering, 
are clearly denoted in the holy scripture. Speaking of 
the first, or ordinary mental prayer, it says, that the just 
man “ will give his heart to resort early to the Lord, that 
made him; and he will pray in the sight of the most 
High.”t It mentions the morning, as a time most pro¬ 
per for prayer; and we infer the same, from several oth¬ 
er texts: “ O Lord! in the morning thou shalt hear my 
voice; in the morning I will stand before thee.”J—“ I 
will extol thy mercy in the morning.”§ — “I prevented 
the dawning of the day, and cried — my eyes to thee, 
have prevented the morning; that 1 might meditate 
©n thy words.”|| Remark, also, that the just man “ will 

* 1 Cor. xiv. 15. f Eccl. xxxix. 6. J Ps. v. 4. 5. 

§ Ps. Ixviii. 17. H ib. cxviii. 147.148. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


113 


give liis heart to resort to the Lord for prayer comes 
from the lieart, and if words are uttered, it is to express its 
sentiments, and affections.* he prays “ in the sight of the 
most High,” being deeply impressed with an awful sense 
of his presence. But after having thus “prepared his 
soul before prayer,”* what is it that the just man asks 
for } “ He will open his mouth in prayer,” adds the 

sacred text, “ and make supplication for his sins.”t 
This is properl}^ the prayer, we should offer — to weep 
over our past sins, and implore the mercy of God. Is it 
not enough to have confessed them, and endeavoured to 
atone'for them. We ought still to bear them in mind, 
that we may be more humble, watch over ourselves 
witii greater diligence, and be more grateful to God,who 
so often forgave us. “ Wash me yet more from my ini¬ 
quity— for my sin is always before me,”J was the pray¬ 
er of David, after he had been assured of his pardon, 
by the prophet Nathan. “Be not without fear for sin 
forgiven,” says Ecclesiasticus.§ 

The same inspired writer alludes to the second, or 
extraordinary sort of mental prayer, when he says, “ If 
it shall please the great Lord, he will fill him with the 
spirit of understanding.”11 He says, “ If it shall please 
the great Lord;” for it is a favor to which we have no 
right, a gift of his liberality. Therefore, “if it pleases 
the Lord,” a light Irom above will flash upon your mind, 
whilst you are at your prayers, and you will then fully 
understand, without any effort of reason or imagination, 
what you could not conceive before. God will then act 
in you, without you. 

But, sublime as this sort of mental prayer is, we 
ought not to endeavour to raise ourselves to it, by 
our own exertions :• nor should we easily imagine that 
God has called us to its perfection. May the Lord 
grant, says, the pious St. Bernard, that I may enjoy peace 
of soul, the sweetness and repose of a good conscience; 
the spirit of mercy; simplicity, and charity towards my 
neighbour; the gift of rejoicing with them that rejoice, 

* Eccl. xviii 23. f ib. xxxix.7. J Ps. 1. 5. § Chap. v. 5. jj Ecc. xxxtx. 8. 

10 * 


114 


THE PRACTICE OF 


and of weeping with them that weep ! I desire nothing 
else: all the rest I leave to the apostles and apostolical men. 
“ The high hills are a refuge for the harts; the rock, 
for the urchins.”* Let therefore the lofty mountains of 
contemplation be the abode of those privileged souls, 
who, with more than ordinary facility, run towards per¬ 
fection ; as for me, who am covered with the thorns of 
my sins, I will retire into the holes of the corner-stone, 
which is Christ; I will hide myself in his wounds; I will 
wash my faults in his precious blood — and this shall be 
my prayer. If then, so great a saint as St. Bernard con¬ 
tented himself with the practice of virtue, and a lively 
sorrow for his sins; let us be satisfied to follow his ex¬ 
ample : let us have recourse to prayer, that we may obtain 
God’s grace, bewail our sins, mortify our passions, ex¬ 
tirpate our evil habits, and surmount every obstacle, 
that might retard our progress towards perfection. 

To arrive at the sublimity of contemplation,we must be¬ 
gin to apply ourselves to the mortification of our passions, 
and lay a solid foundation of all Christian and moral virtues. 
Many, neglecting to observe this method, and vrish- 
ing to rise to contemplation, before they are called to it 
by the “ Father of lights,” find themselves, after many 
years of meditation and prayer, as void of virtue, im¬ 
patient, proud, and unmortified, as they were, v/hen 
they began. 


SECT. III. 

The ordinary sort of mental prayer, or meditation—Its 
necessity, and advantages. 

I. After having thus briefly noticed the more sublime, 
or extraordinary sort of mental prayer, which, as I have 
already said, can neither be taught, nor explained, but is 
a pure gift of God, which he bestows, when, and on 


* Ps. ciii. 18. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


115 


whom he pleases, I shall now speak of the ordinary men¬ 
tal prayer, which, with the help of divine grace, the ad¬ 
vice of a spiritual director, and their own exertions, all 
are able to learn, and practise. 

This sort of mental prayer, or meditation, compri¬ 
ses the exercise of the three powers of our soul — the 
memory, the understanding, and the will. In the first 
place, we are to represent to ourselves, by the help of 
memory, the subject upon which we intend to meditate; 
then, the understanding must be used, in order to exa¬ 
mine, and consider it, attentively; lastly, the will is to 
produce the acts, wliich the reflections of the under¬ 
standing on the subject proposed to it by the memory, 
may suggest,and elicit. The exercise of the understanding 
is the source from which proceed the acts of the will, in 
mental prayer; for the will is a blind faculty, unable to 
incline towards any thing, unless the understanding guides 
it. No one, says St. Gregory, can love what he is en¬ 
tirely ignorant of. And as philosophers say; Nothing 
can be willed, unless it be first known. Hence follow's 
the necessity of performing well this part of mental 
prayer. Unless we reflect seriously on our ow'n iveak- 
ness, and evil inclinations, we shall be deceived as to 
our spiritual wants; and, when at prayer, we shall not be 
able to know what we should ask, nor shall we ask 
with proper fervor and eagerness. For want of this 
knowledge of our spiritual necessities, w^e shall be apt 
to dwell upon many things, during our prayers, which 
are of no use to us, and neglect those which it would be 
necessary to consider, and earnestly to beg of Almighty 
God. 

11. St. Bernard speaking of the means of attaining per¬ 
fection, says : No one becomes perfect on a sudden: 
it is by ascending, and not by flying, that we reach the 
top of the spiritual ladder. Let us therefore ascend, by 
meditation and prayer. Meditation will teach us, what 
our wants are; prayer will supply them. The former, 
will show us the way, w^e should follow; the latter, will 
lead us to it. Meditation will point out to us the 
dangers with which we are threatened ; prayer will ena¬ 
ble us to shun them, with the help of divine grace. 


116 


THE PRACTICE OP 


Meditation, says St. Austin, imparts knowledge, know¬ 
ledge leads to compunction, compunction to devotion, 
and devotion perfects pi-ayer. He calls it elsewhere, 
the source of all good. The pious Gerson styles it, 'Fhe 
sister of spiritual reading, the nurse of prayer, the direc¬ 
tress of good works, the perfection of all things — and af¬ 
firms, that without a miracle, no one can reach the per¬ 
fection of the Christian religion, unless he applies him¬ 
self to the practice of meditation. 

St.Thomas of Aquin says that a Religious,without me¬ 
ditation and prayer, is like a soldier without arms, on 
the day of battle. If so, what shall we think of those 
Christians, who range in the busy walks of life, and who 
are daily exposed to the temptations of a world ‘‘ seated 
in wickedness ?”* Shall I say it } asks the pious and elo¬ 
quent Bourdaloue, and why should I hesitate, since it is 
not a paradox, but a certain, and unquestionable truth } 
a hermit, and a Religious, could do without meditation, 
more easily than a person who lives in the world. Be¬ 
cause, in the solitude of the desert, and the obscurity of 
the cloister, they meet with fewer objects, to divert 
their thoughts from the care of their salvation; and more¬ 
over, they have, independently of meditation, many oth¬ 
er observances, to unite them to God, to remind them of 
his presence, and, in a thousand different ways, to bring 
to their recollection, and to rivet upon their minds, the 
great truths of religion. 

The pretexts which persons of the world allege to dis¬ 
pense themselves from the practice of meditation, are the 
very reasons why they should apply to it wdth more as¬ 
siduity. You allege, says the same excellent moral¬ 
ist, the bustle, the cares, the engagements, and the trou¬ 
bles of the world: all your time, you say, is so taken up 
in tliem, that you can scarcely find leisure to recollect 
yourselves. Now, this is precisely the reason, why you 
have great need of meditation ; lest this bustle of the 
world, should lead you into an entire forgetfulness of 
God, and of your duties to him ; lest these cares of the 


* 1 John, V. 19. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


117 


world should, like so many thorns, choak in your heart 
the good seed of the word of God, and draw your at¬ 
tention from the care of your soul and spiritual improve¬ 
ment ; lest these engagements of the world, should 
become for you bonds of iniquity, and stumbling 
blocks to your virtue; lest these troubles of the 
world, should disturb your mind, harden your heart, 
and cause you to lose all sentiments of piety.— 
And do not tell me, he adds, that you do not know 
how to meditate; for there is nothing to which you 
are more accustomed than to meditation. You know 
how_to meditate upon your temporal affairs—upon an un¬ 
dertaking of any kind, in which your worldly interest, self- 
love, or ambition is concerned. That is to say, upon all 
these things, you know how to deliberate, examine, 
weigh the reasons, foresee the obstacles, and adopt the 
proper measures. In other words, you can think upon 
all these things, at all times, and in all places, without dis¬ 
gust, and without distraction. Are, then, the momen¬ 
tous concerns of your salvation the only ones, to which 
you cannot apply your minds the only ones, on which 
meditation will appear to you impracticable 

The necessity and advantages of meditation, are clear¬ 
ly evinced by numberless passages from holy scripture. 
Take the following: 

“ Hear, O Israel! — These words, which I command 
thee this day, shall be in thy heart; and thou shalt medi¬ 
tate upon them, sitting in thy house, and walking in thy 
journey.”* 

‘‘ Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the 
counsel of the ungodly — But his will is in the law of 
the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate, day and 
night. 

He shall be like a tree which is planted near the 
running waters, which shall bring forth his fruit, in due 
season; and his leaf shall not fall off, and whatsoever he 
shall do, shall prosper.”! 

“ In the days of my trouble I sought God— my soul 


* Pent. vi. 6, 7 


tPs.i, 1, 2,3, 


118 


THE PRACTICE OP 


refused to be comforted; I remembered God, and I was 
delighted —1 thought upon the days of old ; and I had in 
my mind the eternal years. And I meditated in the night 
with my awn heart — will God forget to shew mercy? 
— I will be mindful of thy wonders, and I will meditate 
on all thy works.”* 

“ I have thought on my ways; and turned my feet in¬ 
to thy testimonies. ”t 

“ The cords of the wicked have encompassed me ; but 
I have not forgotten thy law.”| 

Finally, Ecclesiasticus assures us that if we reflect se¬ 
riously on death, judgment, heaven, and hell,we shall ne¬ 
ver defile our souls by the stain of sin: ‘‘In all thy 
works, remember thy last end; and thou shalt never 
sin.”§ 

On the contrary, the prophet Jeremias assigns the ne¬ 
glect of meditation, as the cause of all the moral evils 
that overflow society: “ With desolation,” he says, “ is 
all the land made desolate; because there is none^ that 
considereth in his heart.” || 

Meditation, as I have already remarked, is the source 
from which proceed the acts of the will; for man is a ra¬ 
tional being, who wishes to be led by reason, and his 
understanding must be convinced, before his will can be 
persuaded. One of the great objects, which we should 
have in view, in meditation, and the first benefit we ought 
to derive from it, is to be undeceived with regard to the 
errors of the world, to be confirmed in the belief of the 
truths of religion, and firmly to determine upon w^hat we 
are to do, and what we are to avoid. But, in order that 
meditation may produce these salutary effects, it 
ought to be performed with attention, deliberation, 
and fervor. Consider vvell the shortness of life, the frail¬ 
ty and vanity of all earthly things—and you will soon 
be detached from the world, estranged from its plea¬ 
sures, and disenthralled from its allurements and tempta¬ 
tions. Consider, with St. Paul,that “thetime is short,” 

* Ps. Ixxvi. 3. 13. f ib. cxviii. 59. tib. cxviii* 61. SCh. vii, 40, 

jjChap. xii, 11. ♦ ^ ' 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


119 


that “ the figure of tliis world passeth away that, 
“ here, we have no permanent city; but seek one to 
come :”t “ while you look,” with him, “ not at the 

things which are seen, but at the things which are not 
seen,”! — you will learn, after his example, “ to esteem 
all things but loss, for the excellent knowledge of Jesus 
Christ, your Lord” — you will be willing “ to suffer the 
loss of all things, that you may gainliim.”§ In like man¬ 
ner, reflect seriously, and leisurely on the other great 
truths, and mysteries of religion; treasure up in your 
minds the maxims contained in “ the gospel of your sal¬ 
vation ;”|| let them sink deeply into your hearts, and you 
will soon feel true repentance for your sins, a sincere 
sorrow for your many imperfections, and an ardent de¬ 
sire for your spiritual advancement. 

Meditation, next to the grace of God, is the cause of 
true devotion, that is to say, of that habitual disposition 
of the will, which prompts us, at all times, to do what 
may contribute to the glory of God, and the sanctification 
of our soul. Doubtless, this holy disposition is a gift of 
God ; but, in the ordinary course of providence, it is to 
be obtained, and improved by meditation. “My heart 
grew hot within me,”^ says the psalmist — this was the 
effect of God’s grace— the primary cause of devotion. 
But, by what means did he hope to obtain an increase of 
this first gracehow was this first cause to operate.^ — 
By meditation : “ And, in my meditation,” he adds, “ a 
fire shall flame out.” 

If your devotion is founded upon solid reflections, 
and serious meditations, it will be lasting, and indepen¬ 
dent of circumstances. In every situation, and in every 
place; whatever may be your actual feelings, in times of 
spiritual darkness, and aridity, — you will still remain 
faithful to God, and persevere in his service. For al¬ 
though you may, sometimes, be deprived of spiritual con¬ 
solation, and sensible devotion; yet, you will, generally, 
be able to recollect the motives on which you dwelt dur- 

’ 1 Cor. yii. 29. 3l. f Heb. xiii. 14. +2 Cor. iv. 18. § Phil. iii. S. 

j| Eph i, 18. I Ps. xxxviii. 4. 


120 


THE PRACTICE OF 


ing your meditation, and this recollection, however imper¬ 
fect it may he^will naturally prompt you to put into execu¬ 
tion the good resolutions, which these motives have in¬ 
duced you to make. Were you even to forget the peculiar 
re^sons,which led you to these resolutions, you would re¬ 
member, at least, that you have taken them upon mature 
deliberation, and this conviction would urge you to remain 
faitliful to them. Gerson set so much value upon medi¬ 
tation, that being asked, what occupation appeared to 
him most useful to a Religious,when retired in his cell— 
spiritual reading, vocal prayer, manual labor, or medita¬ 
tion— he answered: Meditation. For, he remarked, 
although during vocal prayer, and spiritual reading, we 
may perhaps feel more fervor; yet, as soon as these 
two exercises are over, the actual devotion, to which 
they gave rise, generally ceases. But meditation pre¬ 
pares the mind for the future, and has an influenee upon 
all our actions. 


SECT. I V. 

Cautions^ and directions on the practice of mental 
prayer^ or meditation. 

1. Notwitlistanding the importance and necessity of 
meditation, we should not, however, spend all the time 
we set apart for mental prayer, in reflections and conside¬ 
rations ; because, it would then become a study, and 
cease to be a prayer. Meditation is to be used, as a 
means to excite the desire of virtue in our hearts. For 
the perfection of a Christian, does not, consist either in 
good thoughts, or in the knowledge of holy things; but 
in the acquirement, and practice of Christian virtues. We 
endeavour to understand what virtue is, says Gerson, not 
precisely, to know it; but to become virtuous. St. Igna¬ 
tius, after having spoken, in his “ Exercises,” of the sub¬ 
jects on which we should meditate, adds, that in order 
that they may be of any advantage to us, we should ap- 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


121 


ply them to ourselves, according to our spiritual wants, 
and the peculiarity of our own circumstances. In a 
word, all the fruit, we ought to derive from meditation, 
consists, in forming holy resolutions, to practise them af¬ 
terwards in due time. This is the great object, which 
we should have in view, in applying to it. Action, says 
St. Ambrose, is the end of meditation. 

Let us not therefore, in mental prayer, bestow on re¬ 
flections and considerations, more time than necessary to 
excite in us pious affections and holy desires; but, as 
soon as we experience these, let us dwell upon them, 
and give them time to sink deeply into our hearts. It is 
so important to dwell a long time upon these acts of the 
will, and holy desires of the heart, that the masters of a 
spiritual life say that mental prayer is then, perfect, 
when we have no longer need of recurring to medita¬ 
tion to excite ourselves to the love of God; but feel, 
and enjoy it, without any effort or exertion of our under¬ 
standing. Meditation, and the exercise of all the facul¬ 
ties of our minds, are to be directed, in mental prayer, 
to contemplation, and used as so many steps to ascend to 
it. We search by reading, says St. Austin, we find by 
meditating; we ask by prayer, we enjoy by contempla¬ 
tion. He then cites the words of Christ: “ Seek, and 
you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you”* 
— and adds: Seek by reading, and you will find by 
meditating; knock by prayer, and it shall be opened 
to you in contemplation. The same saint, writing 
on this warning of our Lord, “ Wlien you are pray¬ 
ing, speak not much,”t remarks, that there is a great 
difference between using a multiplicity of words in 
prayer, and dwelling a long time on pious affec¬ 
tions. The former, he says, we ought to avoid; the 
latter, we should devoutly insist upon; for prayer is a 
business which is better carried on by sighs, than by 
words. Beauty of thought, strength of argument, 
and fluency of speech, are of no service to us when we 
converse with God. 


11 


* Mat. vii. 7. 


t ib. vi. 7. 


122 


THE PRACTICE OF 


2. From these remarks, it will be easy to infer,that those 
who complain they know not how to meditate, do not 
properly understand the nature of meditation. This ho¬ 
ly exercise requires no learning; but a great desire of 
serving, and loving God. Those who are not lenrned, 
says Gerson, are even sometimes more fervent and de¬ 
vout, in time of prayer, than others; because they are 
not liable to waste much time in vague speculations, 
which have no effect on the will and conduct; but their 
first endeavour is, by simple and moving reflections, to 
excite in their hearts pious affections, holy desires, and 
generous resolutions. It is related that a holy r eligious 
of the order of St. Fr ancis, said one day to St. Bonaven- 
ture: God has given you, and other learned men, great 
talents, by which you are able to serve, and praise him ; 
but as for us, plain, ignorant men, what can we do to 
please him.^—Had a man received no other grace than to 
be able to love God, answered the saint, by this grace 
alone he could become more acceptable to him, and 
acquire more merit, than by all other means put togeth¬ 
er.—Then, replied the good brother, a poor illiterate 
person can have as much love for Jesus Christ, as a wise 
and learned man.—Doubtless, said St. Bonaventuie; he 
can love him, with as much fervor, as the most pro¬ 
found scholar, and learned theologian. 

3. In order to derive much benefit from mental prayer, 
we must bear in mind, that it is not itself the end which 
we propose to ourselves, in leading a religious life, but a 
means we use, to promote our spiritual advancement. 
For our perfection does not consist in enjoying the con¬ 
solations and sweets of contemplation, but in acquiring the 
mastery over our passions, and evil inclinations,—in sub¬ 
jecting our sensual appetites to reason, and our reason to 
the law of God. And it is to accomplish this, that we 
have recourse to mental prayer, as to a most profitable 
means to succeed. How hard soever iron may be, it is 
softened by fire, and becomes fit for any use we may 
choose to make of it. Mental prayer will produce a si¬ 
milar effect in our hearts: they are naturally hard and 
inflexible, but the fervor of our devotion mollifies them; and 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


123 


Penders them susceptible of the most generous resolu¬ 
tions, and heroic undertakings, for the salvation and im¬ 
provement of our immortal souls. 

4. It is particularly in times of spiritual trials, in the 
hour of temptation and trouble, that we should recur to 
mental prayer, in order to receive from God that help 
which is necessary to remain faithful to him, whilst 
they last; and to derive from them all the advantage 
which they are intended to produce in us. Jesus Christ 
has taught us this by his own example. On the night 
before “he was to be betrayed into the hands 
of sinners,”* he retired to Mount Olivet, and continued 
a long time in prayer, to prepare himself for the 
conflict he was about to undergo against “ tbe pow¬ 
er of darkness,” throughout the various stages of his 
passion. Not that he himself needed preparation or 
help, remarks St. Ambrose, but because be wished to teach 
us, by his conduct on that occasion, to have recourse to 
prayer, as to a most efficacious means to surmount all 
the difficulties, rvhich we encounter in the practice of 
virtue. St. Paul, finding himself harassed by the buf¬ 
fets of an angel of satan, “ thrice besought the Lord,” 
that he might be freed from the temptation -.f and he re¬ 
ceived a grace not only “ sufficient” to overcome it, 
but which caused him “to glory in his infirmities.” 

5. In selecting the objects of our meditations, we should 
know the fruit, and peculiar benefit, which we intend to 
derive from them. I have already said that we apply to 
mental prayer, with a view to promote our spiritual ad¬ 
vancement: now, it is obvious that in order to succeed 
in this, we ought to know what the wants of our souls 
are, and by what means they can be supplied. Let us 
therefore, before we begin our meditation, consider atten¬ 
tively wffiat virtue we stand most in need of—whether it 
be patience, humility, modesty, prudence, or charity— 
that we may reflect seriously on the motives which are 
best calculated to induce us to acquire it, and to beg it of 
God earnestly. Let us follow the same method with re- 


> Mat. xxvi. 45. 


t 2 Cor. xii. 8. 


124 


THE PRACTICE OF 


gard to our predominant passion, our ordinary faults, our 
daily weaknesses and imperfections. Let us know them 
first, and then direct our attention, during our medita¬ 
tion, to such considerations as may enable us, with the 
help of divine grace, to overcome them. Let this be 
the fruit we intend to derive from our prayer. One is 
full of pride and vanity; another is a slave to anger and 
impatience; a third abounds in his own sense : let each 
of them propose to himself the acquirement of the con¬ 
trary virtues, as the principal benefit, which he wishes 
to reap from the practice of mental prayer. The blind 
man, mentioned by St. Luke,* having been asked to 
tell what he wished our Saviour to do for him, an¬ 
swered : “ Lord! that I may see.” He does not men¬ 
tion his poverty, remarks St. Ephrem, nor any other of 
his wants : he asks what is most important, and necessa¬ 
ry—the restoration of his sight. In like manner, adds 
the same saint, we ought in our prayers to beg of God, 
with fervor and perseverence, what we most stand in 
need of, until ^ve have obtained it. 

This attention to our spiritual wants, and to the par¬ 
ticular object which we ought to have in view in pray¬ 
er, does not however require that we should confine our¬ 
selves, exclusively, to one thing in our meditations. Al¬ 
though humility, for instance, or some other virtue, be 
what we have the greatest need of; yet we may, in 
mental prayer, occupy ourselves profitably in the exer¬ 
cise of other virtues, when we are led to do so, by the 
considerations we have already made, on the subject 
which we had first chosen, or by the spirit of God. 
Whatever may be the subject of your meditation, if you 
feel inclined to acts of conformity to the will of God ; of 
gratitude for his benefits, and the like; dwell upon them 
as long as you can: all the time you employ in this man¬ 
ner, will be well spent. It will, moreover, be easy to 
apply these various considerations and pious affections 
to the particular wants of our souls, and to adapt them 
to the main point we have in view, in mental prayer. 

* Chap, xviii. 35. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


125 


For all virtues are inseparably connected with one ano¬ 
ther : and he who possesses any one of them, in an eminent 
degree, possesses them all. Thus, root out pride from 
your heart, and implant humility in its stead; as soon as 
you will be truly humble, you will also be patient; you 
will complain of nothing; how much soever you may 
have to bear with, you will think it less than what you 
deserve for your sins, and daily imperfections. Again, 
true humility will be productive of charity towards your 
neighbour: you will judge ill of nobody; because you will 
feel so much shame for your own faults, that you will 
not be tempted to look to those of others. And so in 
like manner, all virtues being linked together as the rings 
of a chain, one will lead to another, and perfect it. 

6. When the mysteries of our holy religion are the sub¬ 
ject of our meditation, it is very important not to be sa¬ 
tisfied with a superficial view of their nature; but to 
dwell leisurely and attentively on every particular con¬ 
nected with them: that we may be able the better to 
understand the great truths, which they are so well cal¬ 
culated to illustrate; and “ to comprehend, with all the 
saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and 
depth of the goodness of God.”* When the Lord is 
pleased to impart light to our souls, one single con¬ 
sideration suffices to occupy us a long time, and be¬ 
comes an inexhaustable source of spiritual consola¬ 
tions. “Open thou my eyes,” said the psalmist, “and 
I will consider the wonderous things of thy law—I 
ivill rejoice at thy words, as one that hath found 
great spoil.”t I remembered God; and I was de¬ 
lighted.St Austin and St Francis spent whole 
days and nights in repeating these words: “ Who 

art thou, O Lord ! and who am I—Oh ! that I could 
know thee! that I could know myself! Thou art my 
God, and all things to me !” This perfect mode of pray¬ 
er is similar to that which the blessed use in heaven, 
where, ravished with admiration at the Divine Majesty,* 
they incessantly “ cry out, one to another, and say: Ho- 

*Eph. iii. 18. t Ps. cxviii. 18.162. | ib Ixzvi. 4. 

11 * 


126 


THE PRACTICE OF 


ly, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts !”* ‘‘And they 
rested not, day and night, saying. Holy, holy, holy, 
Lord God Almighty ! who was, and who is, and who 
is to come.”t But to arrive at this perfection in our 
prayers, and co-operate with tlie grace of God, from 
whom we must ultimately obtain it, we ought seriously 
to reflect on the various circumstances of the mysteries, 
which faith teaches us, and apply them to ourselves. 

The means to succeed in this sort of prayer, says Ger- 
son, is constant practice. He “ who reacheth from 
end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweet¬ 
ly,”! acts in the order of grace, as he does in the order 
of nature: as he would have us to acquire human arts 
and sciences by applying ourselves to them, and practi¬ 
cing them; so in like manner, he wishes us to obtain 
the knowledge of heavenly things, by holy meditations; 
and the science of prayer, by assiduous practice, and un¬ 
wearied exertions. In a word, do you wish to learn 
how to meditate?—practise meditation. Would you 
know how to pray ^—pray as well as you are able—im¬ 
prove the “ talent,” which our Lord has given you, 
“ according to your ability,”§ and he will rew^ard your 
fidelity, by a more abundant communication of his grace, 
and of the spirit of holy prayer; “ the hidden things of 
his wisdom he will make manifest to you.”|| “ If any 

man want wisdom,” says St. James, “ let him ask of God, 
who giveth to all abundantly—and it shall be given him.’*^ 
Remain prostrate at the foot of the cross of your Saviour ; 
acknowledge,that you are unworthy of God’s consolations, 
on account of your sins—and the acts of patience and 
humility which you will then perform, will be a kind of 
prayer, most pleasing to God, and profitable to yourself. 

7. I have already remarked that we should not amuse 
ourselves during prayer with making idle speculations; 
hut direct our attention to the w'ants of our souls, and the 
manner in which we conduct the great affair of our sal- 
Tation. One may ask himself; How does my account 

♦Isaias, vi. 3. f Apoc. iv. 8. t Wisd. viii. 1. § Mat. xxv. 15, 

II Ps. I, 8, If Chap. i. 5, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


127 


with my Divine Master stand now ? What atonement liave 
I offered; what amends have I made, for my past sins } 
What progress have I made in patience, humility, and in 
the mortification of my passions ? Another will employ 
the time allotted for meditation in examining, before Al¬ 
mighty God, how he fulfills the duties of his profession, 
and the peculiar obligations attached to his situation in life.v 
These, and the like considerations, would afford ample 
matter for meditation, and innumerable opportunities to 
know and improve ourselves. 

Gerson speaks of a great servant of God, who, after 
applying himself to prayer, during forty years, said that 
he never could find an easier or more useful method of 
mental prayer, than to present himself before God as a 
child, as one naked, and destitute of all things. The 
royal prophet often made use of this kind of prayer: the 
psalms are full of passages in which he calls himself “an 
orphan, a beggar, a poor, blind, and forlorn man.” See 
with what patience and humility a poor beggar asks, and 
waits for help, at the rich man’s gate; how minutely he 
details his wants; with what perseverance and eagerness, 
he begs and entreats. Follow his example; for. When 
we pray, says St. Austin, we are beggars. “As the 
eyes of the hand-maid are on the hands of her mistress,” 
when she wishes to obtain something from her, “So let 
our eyes be unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy 
upon us.”* 

8. It is related that a poor clown,who carried the bag¬ 
gage of St. Ignatius and his companions, during their 
journey to Barcelona, perceiving that as soon as they 
stopped at an inn, they retired to say their prayers, was 
led by their example to do the same himself. The fath¬ 
er having asked him, one day, what he was doing on his 
knees, during all that time; he answered—I say : These 
persons here, O Lord! are saints, and I am their beast of 
burden: they are now in prayer, and I wish to do what 
they are doing. A holy religious of the Society of Jesus, 
and one endowed with great talents, is said to have, for 


♦Ps. exxii. 2. 


128 


THE PRACTICE OP 


a lon^ time, used no other sort of mental prayer than 
this: O Lord! I am a stupid man; I know not how to 
pray; do thou teach me ! 

When St Francis of Borgia thought he had not dis¬ 
charged the duty of prayer with all the attention and pi¬ 
ety it requires; he endeavored, on that day, to be more 
humble, more recollected, more mortified, than usual, in 
order to atone, thereby, for his neglect and inattention. 
The holy Abbot Nilus says: If you wish to pray well, 
do nothing contrary to prayer; for then, God will 
come to you, and go along with you. 


SECT. V. 

Distractions in prayer^ and their remedies. 

Distractions in prayer, proceed from various, and of¬ 
ten very different causes. Our first care should be to 
ascertain the particular cause of the distractions, which 
we experience during our prayers, and to remove it, 
when it can be removed. For if our distractions arise 
from any cause which we can, and ought to remove, they 
will be sinful, as long as we do not remove it. It is unrea¬ 
sonable to complain then, that we cannot be recollected 
in time of prayer, that our attention is carried away by a 
thousand vain and unbecoming thoughts; and the efforts 
which we might endeavour to make, in order to banish 
them, when they present themselves, would, generally 
speaking, be useless and unavailing. These distractions 
would still be, as divines speak, voluntary in their cause. 
Thus, if your fondness for the pleasures and amusements 
of the world, be the cause of your distractions in prayer— 
restrain it within proper bounds—seek retirement, and 
love solitude. If it be pride, practice humility; if levi¬ 
ty, be more serious; if any other passion or habit, ac¬ 
quire the contrary virtue, and follow a different course. 

After having taken the necessary means to retrench 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


129 


the ordinary causes of distractions, the next thing we 
have to do is, to banish them when any present them¬ 
selves, in’ the time of prayer. Thus, these distractions 
not being wilful, either in their cause or whilst they last, 
will not render our prayers less acceptable to God, nor 
less profitable to us. Nay, they will contribute to our 
spiritual improvement, even more than the most sublime 
and moving prayers, if we earnestly strive to i eject them, 
and bear with humility, this experience of our weakness. 
For ‘‘the Lord is compassionate and merciful—as a fa¬ 
ther hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord 
compassion on them that fear him ; for he knoweth our 
frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”* The most 
pious are not exempt from such wanderings of the mind 
as originate in human frailty, and the malice of the de¬ 
vil: they cannot always control their imagination, and 
commune with their God, in the perfect silence of all 
worldly cares. But these distractions do not disturb the 
peace of their souls : they serve, on the contrary, to rea¬ 
der them more watchful, more humble, and perseverant 

According to a maxim of the ancient fathers of the 
desert, the slate of our minds is, during prayer, what it 
generally is throughout the day. So that the surest pre¬ 
paratory means to be recollected in time of prayer, is to 
be mindful of the presence of God, and to cherish the ha¬ 
bit of spiritual recollection, at all times. It is natural to 
think of what we love. If you wish to have your mind 
fixed upon God, during prayer, withdraw your affec¬ 
tions from the world, and fill your hearts with the desire 
of heavenly things. 

St. Basil asks, what we should do to avoid being dis¬ 
tracted in time of prayer; and answers, that the best 
means is, to consider that we are then speaking to God, 
whose majesty requires at least, that we should think 
of what we say to him. St. Ignatius wishes us never to 
lose sight, during our prayers, of the divine presence, in 
which we ought to place ourselves in a particular man¬ 
ner, when we begin them ; so that we may be able to 


*Ps. cii. 8. 13. 14. 


130 


THE PRACTICE OE 


say with the psalmist, “ The meditation of my heart is 
always in thy sight.”* When you go to prayer, says 
St. Chrysostom, imagine to yourselves that you enter 
the heavenly court, where the king of glory is seated 
on his throne, surrounded by a multitude of angels and 
saints, and that the eyes of all are fixed upon you ; for it 
is then, you can apply to yourselves, in a particular and 
most appropriate sense, the words of St. Paul to the Co¬ 
rinthians: “ We are made a spectacle to the world, and 
to angels, and to men.”t 

The pious are accustomed to preserve, during pray¬ 
er, a lively sense of the presence of God, and repel dis¬ 
tractions, by various methods, which experience recom¬ 
mends to them. Some turn themselves towards the 
nearest church, in which the blessed sacrament is kept; 
and prostrate, in mind, before “ the altars of the Lord 
of hosts”!—their hearts and their flesh, rejoice in the li¬ 
ving God.§ Others lift up their eyes to heaven, and 
contemplate, “ in the light inaccessible, which he inha- 
biteth, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, to whom 
honour and everlasting empire are due.”|| Others again, 
look to their crucifix, the images of saints, or other reli¬ 
gious pictures. 

You will also find it a useful remedy against distrac¬ 
tions and spiritual aridities, to represent your weakness 
to God by short and fervent prayers, and implore his as¬ 
sistance. The holy scriptures, and particularly the 
psalms of David, furnish us with many, which we may 
use according to the peculiar circumstances in which 
we find ourselves. Take the following; 

“ Lord! I suffer violence, answer thou for me—I will 
recount to thee all my years, in the bitterness of my 
soul.”^ 

“ I am the man that see my poverty; he hath filled 
me with bitterness. The Lord will not cast off forever; 
for if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy.”** 

‘‘ Why art thou sad,0 my soul! and why dost thou dis- 

^ Ps. xriii. 15. f 1 Epis. iv. 9. J Ps. Ixxxiii. 4. § ib. Ixxxiif. 2. 

li I Tim. vi. 15. 16. IT Isaias, xxxviii. 14, 16. 

** Jjarpent. iU* h 15. 31. 32, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 131 

quiet me.^ Hope in God; for I will still give praise to 
him.”* 

“ O Lord God of hosts! how long wilt thou be angry 
against the prayer of thy servant?!—Give joy to the soul 
of thy servant; for to thee, O Lord! 1 have lifted 
up my soul.”| ‘‘According to the multitude of my sor¬ 
rows, in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my 
soul.”§ 

“ O my God ! enlighten my darkness||—Take not thy 
holy spirit from me: restore unto me the joy of thy sal¬ 
vation. Thou wilt open my lips, and my soul shall de¬ 
clare thy praise.”^ 

“ I am become as a beast before thee; and I am al¬ 
ways with thee—It is good for me to adhere to my God, 
to put my hope in the Lord.**—May he cause the light 
of his countenance to shine upon us.”tt 

“ My soul hath slumbered through heaviness: strength¬ 
en thou me in thy words—Give me understanding, and 
I will search thy law — Thou art good: and in thy 
goodness, teach me thy justifications.”!! 

“O God! my God, look upon me: wdiy hast thou 
forsaken me ?—My strength is dried up like a potsherd, 
and my tongue hath cleaved to myjaws.§§ My heart is 
troubled — and the light Of my eyes itself is not with 
me.”||||. 

“Lord! why casteth thou off my prayer? why turnest 
thou away thy face frgm mei^”1[1[—“How long,O Lord! 
wilt thou forget me unto the end ?”***—“ Incline thy ear, 
O Lord ! and hear me; for I am needy and poor —Thou, 
O Lord ! art a God of compassion, patient, and of much 
mercy — O look upon me! and have mercy on me.”ttt 

“ My soul refused to be comforted; I remembered 
God, and was delighted—Will God cast off for ever? 
or will he never be favourable again .^!!! — Be thou, O 
my soul! subject to God— In God is my salvation, and 


* Ps. xlii. 5 6. f ib. Ixxix. 5. + ib. Ixxxv. 4. §ib. xciii.l9 |( ib. xvii. 29. 
IT ib. 1. 13. 14. 17. ** ib. Ixxii. 23. 28. |t ib. Ixvi. 2. cxviii. 28. 34. 68. 
§§ ib. xxi. I. 16. nil ib. xxxvii. 11. HIT ib. Ixxxvii. 15. ***ib.xii. 1. 
ttt ib. Ixxxv. 1. 15. 16. Ill ib. Ixxvi. 3. 4. 8. 


132 


THE PRACTICE OF 


my glory: he is the God of my help, and my hope is 
in God.”* 

“My soul is as earth without water unto thee. Hear 
me speedily, O ]..ord!—cause me to hear thy mercy in 
the morning, for in thee have I hoped.”t 

An excellent remedy, or rather a most efficacious pre¬ 
servative against distractions in mental prayer, is, to as¬ 
certain and prepare, before hand, the subject on v^hich 
we intend to meditate. This we should begin, at night, 
and continue, as soon as we awake in the morning. Cas- 
sian, St. Bonaventure, and St. Climachus, consider this 
preparation to be of great importance: they say, that 
our praying well, and by consequence, our acting well, 
during the whole day, depend upon it. St. Climachus , 
adds, that the devil, knowing how important it is to be¬ 
gin the day well, watches early in the morning, that he 
may succeed in seizing upon our first thoughts, and thus 
deprive God of the first fruits of the day. St. Thomas 
and St. Bonaventure, writing upon these words of Ec- 
clesiasticus, “ Before prayer prepare thy soul, and be 
not as a man that tempteth God,”J say, that to make 
no preparation before mental prayer, is to tempt God; 
because, we tempt God, when we wish to obtain any 
thing without making use of the means which he has es¬ 
tablished to that effect: and of course, as preparation is 
one of the means required to pray well—to neglect that 
means, is to tempt God. In other words: it is the will 
of God that we should be attentive in prayer; but he 
wishes us, at the same time, to use the ordinary means, 
which will enable us to avoid distractions. 

* Ps. xli. 6. t ib. cxlii. 6. 7. 8. | ch. xviii. 23. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


133 


SECT. VI . 

Method of menial prayer. 

The following method contains the practical applica¬ 
tion of the principles laid down in the foregoing sec¬ 
tions. 

Mental prayer consists of three parts — the commence¬ 
ment or preparation, the body, and the conclusion. 

I. The commencement or preparation of mental prayer. 

Three things must be done in the commencement of 
mental prayer. 

1st. We must place ourselves in the presence of God, 
by an act of faith: believing firmly that he is every 
where ; that he is in the place where we are, and in our 
very hearts. This prompts us to adore him, and con¬ 
duct ourselves with respect before his divine majesty. 

2dly. We should acknowledge ourselves unworthy to 
appear before God, on account of our sins; ask pardon, 
by an act of contrition, and unite ourselves to our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that we may come before his Father, and 
address him, in his name. 

3dly. We should acknowledge that we are, of our¬ 
selves, unable to pray in a manner profitable to our sal¬ 
vation ; and invoke the assistance of the Holy Spirit, that 
we may do it well. 

II. The body of mental prayer. 

The body of mental prayer contains three points. 

In the first, we should consider the subject of our 
mental prayer in reference to our Lord, paying atten¬ 
tion to what he has said, done, or thought, on this sub¬ 
ject—and then, render him our homage by adoring his 
sentiments, his words, his actions; praising them, loving 
them, and filling our hearts with emotions of gratitude; 
to which we may add acts of admiration, of joy, or com- 
12 


134 


THE PRACTICE OP 


passion, according to the nature of the subject. And if the 
subject of our mental prayer should be the perfections of 
God, or the persons of the most Holy Trinity, vve should 
adore them, and render them the other homages of religion. 

In the second point, we should consider the subject of 
our mental prayer in reference to ourselves. 

1st. Examining what we ought to do, or avoid for 
our sanctification; and, in order to urge ourselves more 
effectually to embrace virtue, and fly from vice, we 
should endeavour to convince our understandings of our 
duty, by considering those motives and reasons, which 
may induce us most powerfully to comply with it. 

2dly. W e should compare our conduct with our obliga¬ 
tions on this subject, and enter into serious reflection 
with ourselves to ascertain if we have been faithful to 
our duty : and, as this research will bring to our view 
many faults, we ought, therefore, to humble ourselves, to 
make acts of contrition for our past sins, of confusion at 
our present state, of desire to do better for the time to 
come, and to excite other affections, correspondent to the 
investigation we have made. 

3dly. In view of our past faults, and present weak¬ 
ness, we must have recourse to God, and ask of him, 
with earnestness, the grace to do better in future— 
employing, to obtain it, the merits of cur Lord, and the 
intercession of the most Holy Virgin and the Saints. 

In the third point, to co-operate with the grace which 
we have just asked of God, we should adopt good reso¬ 
lutions, conformable to the subject of our mental prayer, 
and our spiritual necessities. These resolutions should 
be not only general, but particular, and adapted to the 
circumstances of the present time. They should be effi¬ 
cacious, and such as will enable us, with God’s help, to 
surmount every obstacle to our perfection: finally, they 
should be accompanied with distrust in ourselves, and 
confidence in God. 

III. The conclusion of mental prayer. 

The conclusion of Mental prayer comprehends three 
things. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


135 


1st. We should return thanks to God for the graces 
he has bestowed on us during prayer. 

2dly. We should ask his pardon for the faults which 
we have committed in it. 

3dly. We should beseech him to bless our resolutions, 
the present day, our life, and our death — We compose 
then the spiritual nosegay, which is the selection of 
certain good thoughts, or holy affections, wliich have 
touched us most during our mental prayer, to call them 
to mind, from time to time, throughout the day. 

We close, by placing our resolutions and tlie fruit of 
our mental prayer, under the protection of the most bless¬ 
ed virgin, and to that end,we may say the anthem, “ We 
fly to thy patronage, &c.” 

Remarks, 

1. Before mental prayer—1. We should dispose our¬ 
selves for it, by flight from sin, and by purity of heart; 
by internal, and exterior recollection; and by the sin¬ 
cere intention of seeking in it nothing but the glory of 
God, and our advancement in virtue. 

2. We should prepare the subject of our mental 
prayer; and to that end, read it the night before, reconsid¬ 
er, and bear it in mind in the morning. 

II. During mental prayer—1. It is not necessary to 
make in one mental prayer many reflections, or all the 
acts designated in this method; but when we are useful¬ 
ly occupied in certain considerations, or holy affections, 
such as sorrow for sin, love of God, and the like, we 
ought not to leave them on pretext of passing to others. 

We ought to lay the greatest stress on affections, peti¬ 
tions, and resolutions, which constitute the most import¬ 
ant part of mental prayer. Hence, we need not be soli¬ 
citous to excite the affections, or make our petitions and 
resolutions, only in the precise order marked out in this 
method; but if we feel ourselves attracted to them, from 
the commencement, or out of the prescribed course, it is 
good to yield to the impulse, without delay. 

If we feel inclined to any other mode of prayer, we 
should propose it to our director, and follow his advice. 


136 


THE PRACTICE OP 


2. Although distractions, indifference or even tempta¬ 
tions should invade us during mental prayer,we ought not, 
on this account, to be discouraged, nor give up its 
practice : but we should persevere—renouncing faithfully 
those distractions, resisting firmly those temptations, and 
sustaining, with patience, that dullness of spirit, and te¬ 
pidity. 

3. Besides the petitions we should make for our pecu¬ 
liar wants, it is good, at the close of our mental prayer, 
to pray for the church, for our parents, friends, benefac¬ 
tors, and others entitled to our prayers. 

III. After mental prayer— 1. We should take care to 
preserve, throughout the day, the same sentiments which 
we entertained during prayer; and be guarded not to lose 
them, by returning with too much earnestness and haste 
to our other occupations. 

2. It is good to write down, sometimes, what has 
touched us most during mental prayer, and the resolutions 
we have then made; particularly during retreats, and 
when our director deems it expedient; and it will be 
useful to read these things over from time to time. 

3. We should endeavour often to call to mind, 
throughout the day, tlie good resolutions we have formed, 
and to w^atch for occasions to put them in practice. 


SECT. VII. 

Conditions of prayer. 

What are the conditions required to make our pray¬ 
ers agreeable to God, and efficacious in obtaining what 
we ask of him ^ This question is put by Bishop Hay, 
in his ‘‘ Devout Christian.” I shall insert his answer to 
it, as a complement of what I have said on prayer, in the 
preceding pages, which will be useful to all my readers, 
and probably necessary for some of them.—This indeed, 
writes this pious and learned prelate, is a most import 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


137 


ant subject, as it is for want of some one or other of 
these conditions that our prayers are rendered fruitless, 
and hindered from having the effect which vve desire. 
There are several conditions required on our part,which 
therefore must be carefully attended to. They are as 
follow: 

I. To be in friendship with God, and free from the 
guilt of sin.—When a person lives in the guilt of known 
sin, and in disgrace with God, his soul is utterly incapa¬ 
ble of receiving his heavenly gifts, and he is positively 
unworthy of receiving any favour from him; and the 
holy scripture assures us that nothing is a greater hin¬ 
drance to our prayers being heard, than to live in such 
a state of enmity with God. David tells us, that, “ The 
eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto his 
prayers; but the countenance of the Lord is against 
them that do evil things, to cut off the remembrance of 
them from the earth.”* And God himself says to all 
such, ‘‘ When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn 
away my eye from you ; and when you multiply prayer, 

I will not hear ; for your hands are full of blood,”t that 
is, your souls are defiled with the guilt of your sins, 
which render you hateful to me, like a person whose 
hands are reeking with the blood'of his neighbour whom 
he has murdered. So also, Isaias says to sinners, “Your 
iniquities have divided between 3 'ou and your God, and 
your sins have hid his face from you that he should not 
hear.”! Hence Jeremias laments the sins of his people 
in these words, “ We have done w'ickedly and provoked 
thee to wrath ; therefore thou art inexorable ; thou hast 
set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass 
through.”§ Nay the wise man declares, that “ he that 
turneth away his ears from hearing the law, his prayer 
shall be an abomination.”|| 

It is true indeed, that though a person has been ever 
so great a sinner, yet if he returns to God with a sincere 
repentance and cries for mercy, his prayer will be 

•Ps. xxxiii. 17. f Tsai. i. 15. t chap. lix. 2. § Lament, iii. 42, 44. 

)| Prov. xxviii. 9. 


12 


138 


THE PRACTICE aP 


heard, and the scripture is full of the most encouraging^ 
assurances to all such; thus, “ Seek ye the Lord, while 
he may be found, call upon him, while he is near; let 
the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his 
thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will 
have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he is bounti¬ 
ful to forgive.”* And the examples of the humble pub¬ 
lican and the prodigal son, with other such, show clearly 
how ready Almighty God is to hear the prayers of the 
greatest sinners, when they return to him and cry for 
mercy. 

But to be entitled to all the glorious effects of prayer, 
and to the sacred promises which Jesus Christ makes to 
hear our prayers, we must leave off our evil ways, and 
be in friendship with him; and this condition is express¬ 
ly made to these promises. Thus, “ If you abide in me,” 
says Jesus Christ, ‘‘and my words abide in you, you shall 
ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you.”t 
“ He that loveth God shall obtain pardon for his sins by 
prayer, and shall refrain himself from them, and he shall 
be heard in the prayer of days.”J “ Delight in the 
Lord, and he will give thee the request of thy heart.”§ 
“^Dearly beloved,” says St. John, “if our heart do not re¬ 
prehend us we have confidence towards God, and what¬ 
soever we shall ask, we shall receive of him, because we 
keep his commandments, and do those things that are 
pleasing in his sight.”|| And therefore St. James assures 
us, that “ the continual prayer of a just man availeth 
much.”^ 

II. That the things we pray for, be conducive to our 
salvation, and according to the will of God.—The great 
end which God had in view in creating this universe, 
and in all he has done in it, whether in the order of na¬ 
ture or in the order of grace, is the salvation of souls; 
and that all the good things he has bestowed upon us in 
this life, are intended only as helps or means to enable 
us to secure this great end of our being. Hence the 

* Isai. Iv. 6. t John xv. 7. + Eccl. iii. 4. § Ps. xxxvi. 4. 

II 1 Epist. iii. 21. H chap.v. 16. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


13 ^ 


riches and enjoyments of this world, if they be^o used 
as to promote our salvation, are real goods to us; but, if 
we abuse them to the hurt of our souls, they become real 
evils. On the contrary, if the miseries and sufferings of 
this life are so used as to be of service to our souls, how¬ 
ever afflicting they be in the mean time to our nature, they 
are in fact real goods; but if we abuse tliem to the loss of 
our souls, they are real evils. The salvation of our soul is 
the only important affair we have to think of; it is of no 
manner of consequence, what way we be in, while in this 
valley of tears, whether in wealth or poverty, in sick¬ 
ness or health, in ease or pain, provided we can only save 
our souls; but if we lose our souls, all is lost forever. 

Finally, considering the corruption of our nature by 
sin, it is much more difficult to save our souls amidst the 
plenty and abundance of worldly enjoyments, than with 
a moderate sufficiency of the necessaries of life, or even 
amidst sufferings and afflictions. From these undoubted 
principles it follows; that the great and continual ob¬ 
ject of our desires, and consequently of our prayers, 
ought to be our eternal salvation, and all those goods 
which are necessary for securing it, such as victory over 
our passions, grace to resist temptations, the living free 
from sin, our advancement in virtue, patience in our suf¬ 
ferings, union with the will of God, final perseverance 
by a happy death, and the like. We are absolutely 
certain that all these things are according to the will of 
God, and what he is most ready to grant us, because “ He 
wills all men to be saved.”* But as for the good 
things of this world, or the being delivered from its 
evils, a Christian ought never to desire them for them¬ 
selves, nor pray for them, but only as far as God sees 
that they may be of use to his soul. 

We know how strongly Jesus Christ forbids his fol¬ 
lowers to set their hearts upon these things, or seek their 
happiness in them; how strictly he enjoins them, by 
mortification and self-denial, to take off their affections 
from them; while at the same time he passes his sacred 


* ITira. ii. 4, 


140 


THte PRACTICE OP 


promise to them that, if they do so, he will tako care to 
supply them with such a sufficiency of the goods of this 
life, as will be necessary for their support, and of no 
hurt, but of service to their souls. 

When we pray for the salvation of our souls,and thosC' 
graces which are conducive to, or necessary for obtain¬ 
ing it, we may depend upon being heard, when, in what 
manner, and in what proportion God sees best for us; be-' 
cause it is only to these goods that all the promises of 
hearing our prayers are made. When we pray for tem¬ 
poral goods, the promises of hearing such prayers are 
only conditional; if God sees it is for the good of our 
souls, he will grant what we ask; if not, he will refuse 
it; unless in punishment of our too great anxiety for, 
and attachment to these goods, he should grant in his 
anger what he would refuse in his mercy. Hence, we 
may and ought to pray for the former goods, with all the 
ardour of our soul, and with all the confidence of being 
heard, and without any condition. But with regard to 
our temporal necessities, we should either not ask for 
them at all, but humbl}^ laying all such necessities before 
God, leave it to him, by a holy resignation to his will, to 
do as he sees best; or if we do ask for them, as it is cer¬ 
tainly laudable and lawful to do so, we ought to ask them 
only as a secondary and accessary means of salvation, 
and always with this condition, if God sees it is for the 
good of our souls, and only as far as he sees so, but with 
an entire resignation to his will to give them or not as 
he pleases. All this is confirmed by repeated testimo¬ 
nies of scripture; thus, “ Be not solicitous therefore, 
saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or 
wherewfith shall we be clothedfor after all these things 
do the heathens seek: for your Father knows that you 
have need of all those things. Seek ye therefore first 
the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things 
shall be added to you.”'^ Again, “Amen, amen I say to 
you, if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he 
will give it you.”t What can we ask in the name of the 




*Mat. vi.31. 


f John, xvi, ?3, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


141 


Saviour, but what conduces to our salvationWould it 
not be injurious to him, to ask any thing in his name 
which would be hurtful to our souls } and would he be 
a Saviour to us, if he should grant such a prayer? ‘‘If 
you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your 
children; how much more will your Father who is in 
heaven give good things to them that ask them?”* 
What are good things in the judgment of God ? Surely 
only such as are for the good of the soul. Would it be 
receiving good things from God, if we ask him for what 
he knows would make us eternally miserable, and he 
should grant them ? Is it his wdll to give us such goods ? 
and would it be asking according to his will, if we should 
pray for such? Now it is upon asking according to his 
will that our confidence of being heard must be founded: 
hence St. John says, “ This is the confidence which we 
have towards him, that whatsoever we shall ask, accord¬ 
ing to his will, he heareth us; and we know that he 
heareth us whatsoever we ask; we know we have the 
petitions which we request of him.”t 

But as for temporal goods, or the being delivered 
from temporal evils, Christ himself shows us by his 
own example, that we should pray for them only 
conditionally, and with resignation; for being oppressed 
with sorrow in the garden at the sight of the dreadful 
chalice of sufferings he was going to endure, he prayed 
thus, “ Father! if it be possible, let this chalice pass from 
me!—nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt,”| and 
again, “Father! if thou wilt, remove this chalige from 
me—but yet, not my will, but thine be done.”§ Where 
we see both, that it is laudable and lawful to pray for 
temporal favours, and that all such prayers ought to be 
made with perfect resignation to the will of God, and 
on condition that he thinks proper to grant them. We 
must pray for them, because prayer is the necessary 
means to obtain them, as well as all other good things; 
but we must leave it entirely to God to grant them or 
not as he thinks fit, because we are perfectly ignorant, 

* Matt. vii. f 1. t 1 Epist. v. 14, | Mat. xxtI. 89. ^ Luke, xxii. 42, 


142 


THE PRACTICE OF 


whether it would be good for us to have them or not. In 
all such cases we ought to be firmly persuaded,that if he 
does not think fit to grant the very thing we ask, he will 
grant us something else which he sees better for us; for 
prayer can never be fruitless. It is a promise made by 
Christ himself, that “ every one that asketh (properly), 
receiveth,”* and when we ask temporal goods in the 
way Christ did, we surely ask properly, and therefore, 
receive we shall, if not the very thing we ask, something 
better for us. Thus St. Paul thrice besought the Lord 
to be delivered from the angel of Satan that was given to 
buffet him, and was denied that favour; but he received 
a much greater one, a plentiful grace to support him, and 
enable him to overcome that enemy with great fruit to 
his soul. 

in. That we pray with attention, and fervour.—These 
two qualities of good prayer are joined together, because 
they naturally arise from, and are accompanied by one 
another. Prayer, properly speaking, consists in two 
things, to wit: the desires of our heart for some good 
thing, and the manifesting those desires to God: and it 
is evident, that if either of these two be wanting, there 
is no prayer. This manifestation of our desires to God 
may be either by the heart alone, and this is to pray 
mentally, or they may be expressed also in words, and 
this is to pray vocally. The foundation then of prayer 
is the desires of the heart; it is by them that the heart is 
dilated and disposed for receiving the things w^e pray 
for; according to that of our Saviour, “ Blessed are 
they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall 
have their fill.”t These desires arise from the high es¬ 
teem we have for the good things we wish; the greater 
and more fervent our desires for any good are, the more 
they show how great our esteem is of it; but if our de¬ 
sires be weak and languid, our esteem must be but little. 
Now as the good things of God are of inestimable value 
in themselves, he requires of us to have a great esteem 
for them, and of course an ardent desire of them; this 


^ Ma.t. vii. 8. 


X ib. v. 6, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


143 


high esteem and fervent desire, is what moves him in a 
particular manner to bestow his gifts upon us; thus, 

“ the Lord hath heard the desire of the poor; thy ear 
hath beard the preparation of their heart.”* “ In thy 
strength, O Lord ! the king shall joy; and in thy salva¬ 
tion he shall rejoice exceedingly; thou hast given him 
his heart’s desire; and thou hast not withholden from 
him the w\\\ of his lips.”t “That which the wicked 
feareth, shall come upon him; to the just, their desire 
shall be given.”| And when Daniel “ set his face to 
make supplication wdth fasting and sackcloth and ash¬ 
es,” and to pray for his people with great fervour,w'hich 
he showed both in the expressions of his prayer itself, 
and in those penitential works with which he accom¬ 
plished it, at last the angel Gabriel appeared to him, and 
said, “ O Daniel! I am now come forth to teach thee, 
and that thou mightest understand. From the beginning 
of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to 
show it to thee, because thou art a man of desires.”§ 
But when a person has no esteem for the good things of 
God, when he has no great desire for them, when he 
prefers the perishable things of this life before them, and 
is more solicitous about these than about the concerns of 
eternity, he. is then totally indisposed for receiving the 
gifts of God; and though he should say some prayers 
for the good of his soul, yet these prayers being languid, 
cold and heartless, and he himself being as it were indif¬ 
ferent wdiether he receives them or not; such prayers 
are ralhev loathsome to God than pleasing, and more apt 
to move him to indignation than to pity, seeing they show 
a contempt of him and of his eternal goods, and that the 
preference is given to the W’^orld before him. 

Hence it is manifest that our prayers must proceed 
from a heart inflamed W'ith an ardent desire of the ines¬ 
timable goods which we ask from God, just as the in¬ 
cense, which in scripture is proposed as an emblem of 
fervent prayer, then sends up its clouds of sweet smell¬ 
ing smoke towards heaven, when itself is burning upon 

* Ps. X. 17. t ib. XX. 1. X Prov. x. 24. § Dan. ix. 3. 22. 


144 


THE PRACTICE OE 


the fire in the censer. Now when we manifest these de¬ 
sires to God mentally, and in the heart alone; though 
in some high degree of supernatural prayer, the imagi¬ 
nation may sometimes be carried away with various dis¬ 
tractions, even while the heart and will are exercising 
the most fervent affections towards God, yet ordinarily 
this is not the case; but our very expressing our desires 
to God, in our heart, naturally draws the attention of the 
mind along with it. But the case is very different in our 
vocal prayers, for there it but too often happens, that 
we recite with our lips those v/ords which express the 
desires of the heart, whilst our mind is wandering about 
on a thousand idle and worldly objects, and the heart it¬ 
self is perhaps engaged in affections very different from, 
and sometimes even contrary to those which the W'ords 
contain. If, while we are pretending to honour God by 
reciting our prayers, we should either of ourselves set 
our thoughts a wandering upon improper objects, or 
knowingly entertain those that are suggested by the de¬ 
vil or our own imagination, without giving any attention 
to God, and wdiat our lips are saying to him; this must 
be highly displeasing to God, and will render our pray¬ 
ers not only fruitless, but hurtful to us. Such pretended 
prayer is in fact no prayer at all, it is mere hypocrisy; it 
wants the foundation of prayer, wdiich is tlie desire of 
the heart; it is a pretending to manifest to God the de¬ 
sires of the heart, by the words we repeat, whilst the 
heart has no desire at all of what the w^ords express, but 
perhaps is occupied wdth affections displeasing to God. 
To such prayer is justly applied the reproach made by 
Isaias the prophet, and which our blessed Saviour ap¬ 
plies to the Jews, “ Ye hypocrites, well has Isaias pro¬ 
phesied of you, saying, this people honoureth me with 
their lips; but their heart is far from me. In vain do 
they worship me.”* Of such also David says, “ they 
loved him with their mouth, and with their tongue they 
lied unto him: but their heart w^as not right with him.”j‘ 
Hence therefore it is manifest, that if we wish our 


* Mat. XV. 7. 


t Ps. Ixxvii. S6. 


CHUISTIAN PERFECTION. 


145 


prayers should be acceptable to God and profitable to 
ourselves, vve must take care they flow from a fervent 
heart, burning with an earnest desire of obtaining from 
him those inestimable favours which we pray for, and 
whicli will conduct us to eternal bliss; and, at the same 
lime, that we must say them with all possible attention of 
mind, using the proper means, and our best endeavours 
to avoid all distracting thoughts in time of prayer, and to 
keep our mind recollected to the presence of tfiat great 
God with whom we speak, and to the good things we 
ask of him. 

IV. The fourth condition required, to make our pray¬ 
er efficacious is, that it be humble; that is, void of all 
presumption upon ourselves, or upon any merits of our 
own, as if we either could acquire any good by our own 
natural abilities, or had any thing in ourselves that could 
deserve it from God. This is a most essential quality 
o/ prayer, and tlie want of it is what more than any thing 
else will hinder God from granting what we pray for. 
It is founded upon two great truths, which we never can 
have too deeply impressed in our mind. The first is, 
that of ourselves we can do no good towards our salva¬ 
tion, neither resist temptations, nor break ill habits, nor 
avoid sin, nor acquire any virtue, nor persevere in good ; 
nor in a word, do any thing that is acceptable in tlie sight 
of God. The second truth is, that of ourselves we de¬ 
serve no help, no grace, nor any good tiling from him; 
nay, that on account of our manifold sins, ingratitude and 
infidelity to him, we deserve nothing but stripes and 
punishments, and to be rejected by him entirely. That 
therefore we must never presume or have any depen- 
dance upon ourselves for obtaining any good, but expect 
it only from his goodness and mercy, through the me¬ 
rits of our blessed Saviour. 

This holy disposition greatly increases the fervour of 
the soul; for we are never more earnest in desiring any 
good, than when we are thoroughly convinced of the 
greatness of our want of it; and, at the same time, it pow¬ 
erfully moves God to grant what we desire. This he de¬ 
clares by his prophet: “To whom shall I have respect, 
13 


146 


THE PRACTICE OP 


but to him that is poor and little, and of a contrite spirit, 
and that trembleth at my words ?”* “ For thus saith the 
High and the Eminent, that inhabiteth eternity, and his 
name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, 
and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spi¬ 
rit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the con- 
trite.”t For “ a contrite and humble heart, O God ! 
thou wilt not despise.”J And therefore, “ he hath re¬ 
gard to the prayer of the humble, and he hath not de¬ 
spised their petition.”§ “ For the Lord is nigh to them 

that are of a contrite heart, and he will save the humble 
of spirit.”|| “ But God resisteth the proud, and giveth 
grace to the humble.”^ The holy servants of God were 
most sensible of this truth, and therefore in all their pray¬ 
ers, which are recorded in scripture, especially in times 
of distress, we find they are ail grounded in this holy 
virtue. Thus Judith says, “ Thy power, O God! is not 
in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of hor¬ 
ses, nor from the beginning have the proud been accept¬ 
able to thee, but the prayer of the humble and meek hath 
always pleased thee; hear me, a poor wretch, making 
supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy.”** In 
like manner, Esther “ covered her head with ashes and 
dung, and she humbled her body with fasts; and she 
prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: O my 
Lord ! who alone art our king, help me, a desolate wo¬ 
man, who have no other helper but thee.”tt Daniel also, 
in his fervent prayer, which brought an angel from hea¬ 
ven to tell him what he wanted to know, says, “Incline, 
O my God ! thy ear, and hear; open thy eyes, and see 
our desolation; for it is not in our justifications that we 
present our prayers before thy face, but for the multi¬ 
tude of thy tender mercies.”JJ The different effects of 
the prayers of the humble publican, and of the proud 
Pharisee, are well known; and the prayer of the prodi¬ 
gal son, by which he found favour with his father, was 
wholly founded in humility. Hence the wise man as- 

•Isa. Ixvi. 2. I ib. Ivii. 15. jPs. 1. 19. § ib. ci. 18. |j ib. xxxiii 19. 

IT James, iv. C. ** Judith, ix. 16. tf Esther, xiv. 2. |tDan. ix. 18. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


147 


sures us, that “ The prayer of him that humbleth him¬ 
self, shall pierce the clouds; and till it come nigh he will 
not be comforted, and he will not depart till the most High 
behold : and the Lord will not be slack.”* 

The reason why humility is so powerful a means to 
find mercy with God, is because by it we give due honour 
to his almighty power, according to that, “ The greater 
thou art, the more humble thyself in all things, and thou 
shalt find grace before God ; for great is the power of 
God alone, and he is honoured by the humble.”t Now, 
though every Christian knows and believes the above 
two truths, upon which this humility of our prayers is 
founded, and, on that account, may be said to have humi¬ 
lity of the understanding; yet such is the unhappy pride 
of our heart, that notwitstanding the conviction we have 
of our own weakness and unworthiness, still we feel our 
heart revolts at that truth, wishes always to have some 
good opinion of ourselves, as if there was something in 
us of our own, and which we have not from God, and is 
carried away as it were by violence to presume upon 
itself, and have a dependence on its own forces. To 
counteract the fatal effects of this unhappy disposition, 
it is a most useful practice, not only at the beginning of 
prayer, but also of every other duty, we have to do, to 
make an act of profound humility before God, expressly 
confessing our own inability to do it well without his as¬ 
sistance, and our unworthiness of any help from him; 
and renouncing all confidence in ourselves, throw our¬ 
selves entirely upon his mercy for what we need ; and 
experience will show, that when this is done sincerely 
and from the heart, how powerful a benediction it brings 
from God. But we observed in all the above examples 
of the humble prayers of the saints, and while they re¬ 
jected all trust or confidence in themselves, they pre¬ 
sumed wholly upon the mercy of God; and therefore, 
V. The fifth quality of prayer is, that this humble dif¬ 
fidence in ourselves be accompanied with a perfect trust 
and confidence in God, grgunded solely upon, his infinite 


* Eccl. 21. 


f ib. iii. 20. 


148 


THE PRACTICE OF 


goodness, his fidelity to his promises, and the merits of 
Jesus Christ. This confidence or hope in God,is a vir¬ 
tue which resides partly in the understanding, and part¬ 
ly in the will. In the understanding; because we firmly 
believe that God is exceedingly disposed and inclined by 
his own infinite goodness, and has bound himself by pro¬ 
mise, to grant us the good things we ask. In the will; 
because, adhering to this well founded belief, we un¬ 
doubtedly hope, without hesitation or suspicion of the 
contrary, that God wfill actually grant our demands; and 
being animated with this firm hope and confidence, we 
present our petitions to God tvith greater fervour of 
spirit, and with a holy importunity, which to him is most 
agreeable. Hence St. James says, “ If any of you 
want wisdom, let him ask it of God, who givelh to all 
abundantly, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given 
him. But let him ask, in faith, nothing w^avering. For 
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, wdiich is dri¬ 
ven and tossed about by the wind; thererefore, let not 
that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”* 
Let him ask, “in faith see the firm belief of the goodness, 
and fidelity of God ; “nothing wavering:” see here the un¬ 
shaken hope and confidence of the will — Thus, the cen¬ 
turion, in his prayer for his servant’s health, joined a pro¬ 
found humility with a perfect confidence, in so admirable 
a manner, as to make Jesus Christ himself express his 
surprise at it, and grant him, that instant, wdiathe prayed 
for. t Which shows how agreeable it is to God that 
W'e have an entire confidence in him, and presume, as 
the scripture expresses it, of his mercy, when we are 
not conscious of any thing in ourselves to put a stop to 
it. But on the contrary, it is a great injury and affront 
to God to have any difildence in him; as it manifestly 
Excludes a supposition most injurious to his goodness; 
namely, that though he can, without the least trouble, 
and only by willing it, relieve us and assist us in what is 
really good for us, yet, even when we apply to him for 
it, he will not do it. It also involves a heinous afiront to 


chap. i. 5. 


t Mat. viii. 8. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


149 


his veracity, by supposing he is capable of not perform¬ 
ing his repeated promises to hear our prayers, and grant 
our pious requests. 

VI. Another most necessary quality of prayer, and 
which is the crown of all the former, is perseverance, 
accompanied with an humble resignation to the will of 
God. Though Almighty God has bound himself by his 
promise to grant us those good things which we ask of 
him in prayer, and which are conducive to our salvation; 
yet he has not bound himself to give us them, the very 
moment we ask them, nor yet in such manner or measure 
as we may ask, which perhaps may not always be the 
best for our souls. God is pleased indeed sometimes to 
hear our prayers immediately; at other times he wants 
to be entreated for days, and weeks, and months, and 
years; sometimes he is pleased to grant us at once the 
whole of what we ask; at other times, he imparts it by 
little and little, and as it were insensibly. Sometimes 
the thing we ask, though holy and good in itself, may 
not be so properdbr us in our present dispositions and 
circumstances, and God in his infinite mercy is pleased 
to refuse that, but rewards our prayers with something 
better for us: now, as to all these circumstances,we must 
be perfectly resigned to whatever God pleases; it is 
enough for us to know that all is intended by his infinite 
wisdom for our greater good, which he alone knows 
how to promote; and that, if we persevere in our pray¬ 
er, sooner or later he will grant us our heart’s desire, in 
the way, manner, and measure that he knows best for us. 

And indeed who are we, to set a lime to the favours of 
God? When Judith had heard that Ozias the ruler of 
the people had agreed to give up the city to Holofernes, 
who was besieging it, if within five days God did not 
relieve them, she said to him and the other rulers: 

What is this word by which ye have consented to give 
up the city to the Assyrians, if within five days there 
come no aid to us? And who are you that tempt the 
Lord ? This is not a word that may draw down mercy ; 
but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indigna¬ 
tion. You have set a time for the mercy of the Lord, 
13 * 


150 


THE PRACTICE OF 


and you have appointed him a day according to your 
pleasure ! But for as much as the Lord is patient, let us 
he penitent for this same thing; and with many tears, let 
us beg his pardon, let us humble our souls before him, 
and, continuing in an humble spirit in his service, let us 
ask the Lord with tears, that according to his will, so he 
would show his mercy towards us.”* The high priest 
Eliachim’s behaviour upon this same occasion, was very 
different from that of these rulers; for “ he went about 
all Israel, and spoke to them, saying, Know ye that the 
Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perse¬ 
verance in fastings and prayers, in the sight of the 

Lord.”t 

And indeed there is nothing which our blessed Saviour 
seems more earnest to inculcate to us, than to persevere 
in our prayers to God ; the parable of the two friends is 
expressly intended for this purpose, and he concludes it 
with these words: ‘‘ Yet if he shall continue knocking, I 
say to you, although he will not rise and give him, be¬ 
cause he is his friend ; yet because of his importunity 
he will rise, and give him as many loaves as he need- 
eth.” And then he immediately adds, ‘‘ and I say to 
you : Ask and it shall be given you,”&c.f thereby show¬ 
ing us that this sacred promise of granting what we ask, 
is principally made to our perseverance in asking. And 
no wonder that perseverance should at last be victorious; 
for if it could even move the heart of the friend, and 
against his will to do what was displeasing to him, and 
grant what was asked of him; how much more must it 
move the heart of God who is all goodness, who takes 
a delight to bestow his good things upon us, and who 
only delays granting them, that he may grant them after¬ 
wards more to our advantage, and as a reward of our ve¬ 
ry perseverance! 

The parable of the unjust judge and the widow, was 
used by our Saviour, on purpose to show us, “ that we 
ought always to pray, and not to faint,”§ that is, to per¬ 
severe, without wearying, though God should delay 

* Judith, viii. 10. -f ib. iv. II. J Luke, xi. 8. § ib. xviii. 1. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


151 


hearing us; for that coming, he will come at last, and 
grant us all we desire; and the example of the Chana- 
nean woman, with the happy fruits of her perseverance, 
is recorded at large for our encouragement and imitation. 
When she first presented her prayer to our blessed 
Saviour, he seemed not to mind her, and “ answered her 
not a word she persisted, and the disciples begged him 
to send her away, as being troublesome. But he seemed 
to despise her as having nothing to do with her, saying, 
“ I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house 
of Israel.’’ She, far from being discouraged by this ap¬ 
parent contempt, persisted with greater fervour, for 
she came and worshipped him, saying. Lord help me.” 
He still seemed unmoved, and said, “ It is not good to 
take the bread of the children, and cast it to the dogs 
but she, not in the least disturbed at this humiliating ex¬ 
pression, humbled herself the more, persisted the more, 
and even from what he said drew an argument in her 
own favour. True, said she, it is so: I acknowledge 
myself a wretched creature, and unworthy of being treat¬ 
ed as a child, but let me have at least what even the dogs 
get, for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from 
the table of their master.” O then ! indeed, our Saviour’s 
tender heart could resist no longer; the justice of her pe¬ 
tition, which was the cure of her daughter who was grie¬ 
vously troubled by a devil, her fervoirr, her humility, 
her confidence, her perseverance, made such a powerful 
assault upon him, that turning unto her, he said, “ O wo¬ 
man ! great is thy faith, be it done to thee as thou wilt: 
and her daughter was cured from that hour.”* 

How strong an encouragement does all this give us, 
never to faint, never to be weary, never to give over 
knocking at the door of the divine mercy, till at last it 
be opened to us, to our great consolation! How does it 
teach us, rather to increase our.fervour, our humility, and 
our confidence in him, when he seems not to hear us, 
with the firm persuasion that perseverance in these vir¬ 
tues will at last obtain our request! “ Do not therefore 


♦ Mat. XV. 25. 


152 


THE PRACTICE OF 


lose your confidence,” says St. Paul, “ which hath a 
great reward : for patience is necessary for you, that do¬ 
ing the will of God, you may receive the promise.”* 
When God delays granting what we ask, it is his will 
we should persevere with confidence and patience, and , 
in his good time, the promised reward will, v. i 
doubt, be given us. 


* Heb. X. 35. 




CHRISTIAN TERFECTION. 


153 


CHAPTEll YL 


ON THE PRESENCE OF GOD. 


SECT. I. 

The exercise of the presence of God ; its importance^ and 
advantages. 

Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened: seek his 
face evermore.”* To seek the face of God, is to walk 
in his presence, by directing all the desires and motions 
of our hearts towards him. St. Bonaventure remarks, 
that he who is continually employed in the exercise of 
the presence of God, begins in this life to enjoy the feli¬ 
cities of the blessed. It is true, we cannot, whilst we 
are on this earth, see him, as they do, clearly, and such as 
he is; but we can at least imitate them, as far as hu¬ 
man frailty will permit, by placing ourselves incessantly 
in his presence by acts of adoration and love. For God 
was not satisfied with creating us to enjoy him eternally 
in heaven, but he wished us to be able to have, in this life, 
a foretaste of that happiness, by always walking in his 
presence, always adoring him, and always beholding him 
through the obscurity of faith. “We see now, through 
a glass,” says St. Paul, “in an obscure manner; but 


* Ps. civ. 4. 




154 


THE PRACTICE OF 


then, face to face.”* The si^ht of God which we have 
in this world, constitutes our merit; that,which we shall 
have in the next, will be our reward. 

The angels who are appointed to guard and defend 
us, acquit themselves of their charge in such a manner, as 
never to lose sight of God. I seemed, indeed, to eat 
and to drink with you,” said the angel Raphael to Tobias, 
“ but I use an invisible meat and drink, w^hich cannot be 
seen by raen.”t These pure spirits feast upon the bea¬ 
tific vision of the divine attributes—“ They always see 
the face of my Father, who is in heaven,” says our Lord 
Jesus Christ.;); Let us endeavour to imitate them in this. 
Although,whilst we are eating and drinking, or convers¬ 
ing with men, it appears that we have no other food, or 
conversation; let us, however, strive to take an invisi¬ 
ble food, and to hold a conversation, which they may not 
be able to hear. Now, this food, and this conversation 
consists in always beholding God, in always loving him, 
and in always doing his will, in all things. “I have 
food to eat which you know not of,” said Christ to his 
disciples ;§ and as they seemed perplexed about it, he 
added: “My food is to do the will of him that sent 
me.”|| St. Paul writes to the Philippians, “ Our con¬ 
versation is in heaven ;”1[ and to the Corinthians, “We 
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things 
which are not seen.”** 

The saints of the Old Testament took very particular 
care always to walk in the presence of God. The royal 
prophet did not content himself wath “giving praise to him 
seven times a day”tt — “I set the Lord always in my 
sight,” he says, “for he is at my right hand, that I be 
not moved.”|i The exercise of God’s presence was so 
familiar to these holy men,that there w^as no mode of speak¬ 
ing more usual with them, than to say: “The Lord li- 
veth—in whose sight I stand.”§§ Their extreme atten¬ 
tion to this practice, proceeded, undoubtedly, from a per¬ 
fect knowledge of the great advantage which they deriv- 

* 1 Cor. xiii. 12. f Tob. xii. 19. J Mat. xviii. 10. § John, iv. 32. 

II ib. iv. 34. IT Chap hi. 20. ** Chap. iv. 18. ffPs. cxviii. 164. 

XI ib.. XV. 8. §§ 3 Kings, xvii. 1. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


155 


ed from it. “ Blessed is the man,” says Jesus, the son 
of Sirach, “ that shall continue in wisdom—and, in his 
mind, shall think of the all-seeing eye of God.”* This 
thought alone, is sufficient to induce us to watch over 
ourselves, with the greatest care and diligence. — “I 
feared all my w'orks,” says Job, “ knowing that thou 
didst not spare the offender.”t 

If even the most perverse are often kept to their duty, 
by the presence of a person, wdiom they respect and 
fear—what salutary effect may we not expect from the 
thought of the presence of God, who observes all,and from 
whom nothing can be concealed! What can we con¬ 
ceive more efficacious to enable us to repress the impe¬ 
tuosity of our passions, to surmount the most violent 
temptations, and to stand firm on the most dangerous oc¬ 
casions, than to say to ourselves: I am in the presence 
of my judge, in the presence of him, who is about to 
condemn me, and give sentence against me, if I be so 
rash as to commit this sin.^^ To sin against God, says 
St. Austin, is a crime; but to sin against God, in the ve¬ 
ry sight of God, is an enormity of which few would be¬ 
come guilty, if they were to pause, in time, and say: 
God sees me. 

On the contrary, the habitual forgetfulness of God, in 
which the sinner lives, is one of the principal causes of 
his manifold transgressions: “God is not before his 
eyes,” says the psalmist; “his ways are filthy, at all 
times.”J St. Jerome, in his comments upon the 22d 
chapter of Ezekiel, after a long enumeration of the 
crimes of the ungrateful Jerusalem, reproaches her, at 
last, with having forgotten God, as being the cause of 
all the sins into which she fell. And, in truth, as a live¬ 
ly sense of God’s presence, is the best preservative 
against sin, and a most powerful stimulus to the prac¬ 
tice of all virtues, so, a criminal f orgetfulness of his di¬ 
vine majesty, paves the way to every vice. The one, 
raises to perfection; the other, debases to crime. “ O 
Lord ! the hope of Israel,” exclaims Jeremias, “ all that 


* Eccl. xiv. 22. 


f Chap ix. 28. 


t Ps. ix. 25. 


156 


THE PRACTICE OF 


forsake thee sliall be confounded—because they have for¬ 
saken the vein of living waters.”* ‘^Ask among the na¬ 
tions,” says the Lord, by the same prophet: “ Who hath 
heard such horrible things as the virgin of Israel hath 
done to excess.^—because my people have forgotten 
me.”t 

The exercise of the presence of God, is the sovereign 
and universal remedy which St. Basil prescribes, to over¬ 
come all temptations—a short and easy means, to be¬ 
come perfect—a means, which possesses the force and 
efficacy of all the others. God himself taught it to 
Abraham: Walk before me,” said he to him, and be 

perject^’^l that is, ‘‘and thou wilt be perfect;’''^ for here, as 
in several other passages of scripture, the future is ex¬ 
pressed by the imperative, the better to show the infal¬ 
libility of the success. True perfection, says Bourda- 
!oue, consists in doing every thing well; not with care¬ 
lessness and indifference, but with attention and fervor. 
Now, is there any thing better calculated to impart to 
me that fervor and zeal in all my actions, to rouse me 
from my torpor and supineness, than the thought of 
God’s presence.? This sight of God, he adds, is more¬ 
over a source of consolation for the pious, and a support 
amid the difficulties which they encounter in the pursuit 
of Christian perfection. What can be more sweet than this 
thought—God is with me, he cares for me, he protects 
me.? Is it not alone sufficient, to comfort and strength¬ 
en us in all our troubles.? “Though I should walk in 
the midst of the shadow of death,” says holy David, “ I 
will fear no evil, for thou art with me.”§ “ Let the just 

rejoice before God, and be delighted with gladness.’*|| 

St. Ambrose and St. Bernard remark, that as there is 
not a moment, in which we do not experience the effects 
of God’s mercy and goodness; so we should not let a 
moment pass, without remembering his presence. 
Whilst you are doing or thinking on any thing, adds St. 
Bernard, remember that God is present; and be persuad- 

* Chap. xvii. 13. f ib* xvhi. 1315. + Gen. xvii. 1. § Ps. xxii. 4. 
j| Ps. Ixvii. 4. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


167 


cd that you have lost all the time, in which you were not 
mindful of his presence. St. Austin, in his comments on 
these words of the psalmist, I will fix my eyes upon 
thee,”* exclaims: Yes, O my God! 1 will never with¬ 
draw my eyes from thee, for thou never withdrawest 
thine from me; I will follow the example of thy prophet, 
“my eyes shall ever be towards the Lord.”t 

The masters of a spiritual life use the following com¬ 
parison, to show the need we have of always remember¬ 
ing God’s presence. As the planets, they say, receive 
from the sun all the light and splendor, with which they 
shine conspicuous among the celestial spheres; so the 
just, who are destined “ to shine as the brightness of the 
firmament, for all eternity,”! who, whilst yet “ in the 
midst of a depraved and perverse generation, shine as 
lights in the world,”§ must needs derive from the presence 
of God, and the constant union of their hearts wdth him, all 
the supernatural lights, which display themselves in their 
conduct before men, “ who seeing their good works, glo¬ 
rify their Father who is in heaven.”|| 


SECT, II. 

The practice of the exercise of God'^s presence. 

The exercise of the presence of God, includes two 
sorts of acts—the acts of the understanding, and those of 
the will. 

The acts of the understanding consist in considering, 
that God is present every where, that he fills the whole 
universe ; that he is all in all—all in every part of crea¬ 
tion, and in every creature. “ He is not far from every 

* Ps. xxxi. 8. t ib. xxiv. 15. + Dan. xii. 3. § Philip, ii. 15. 

D Mat. V. 14. 


14 



158 


THE PRACTICE OP 


one of us,’^ says St. Paul; ‘‘ for in him we live, and we 
move, and we are.”* God is within us: it is he who 
imparts lifej to all that lives; motion, to all that moves; 
existence, to all that exists. And not only is God pre¬ 
sent every where; but he sees all things, he observes 
all things. We should therefore consider him as a con¬ 
stant witness to all our words, thoughts, and actions: 
“reaching into tlie division of the soul and the spirit 
— a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart 
—to whose eyes,all things are naked and open.”t—“Whi¬ 
ther shall I flee from thy face ?” exclaims the psalmist, 
“ if 1 ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend in¬ 
to hell, thou art present. If I take my wdngs early in 
the morning, and dw^ell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 
even there also shall thy hand lead me; and thy right 
hand shall hold me. And I said, perhaps darkness shall 
cover me—but darkness shall not be dark to thee; and 
night shall be light as the day.”:}: 

“ The eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun, 
beholding round about all the ways of men, and the bot¬ 
tom of the deep, and looking into the hearts of men.”§ 

“ The Lord of hosts is thy name: great in counsel, 
/ and incomprehensible in thought: whose eyes are open 
upon all the W'ays of the children of Adam, to render un¬ 
to every one according to his w'ays, and according to the 
fruit of his devices.”}} 

Some persons, when they place themselves in the pre¬ 
sence of God, represent him to their minds as standing 
by them, or walking along with them, and looking at 
them: others view him on the cross, tied at the pillar, 
in the garden of olives, or in some other mystery of his 
life. All this is good, if properly done; but, generally- 
speaking, these sorts of representations and sensible im • 
ages, are apt to wear out the mind,and fatigue the head. 
The use of the understanding, in the exercise of God’s 
presence, of wdiich I speak here, is entirely free from 
these mental fictions. It consists in a simple view of the 

•Acts, xvii. 27. 28. j Heb. iv. 12. 13. jPs. cxxxviii. 7—12. 

% Eccl. xxiii. 28. || Jerem. xxxii. 18. 19. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


159 


presence of God, such as faith gives us, without anv ef¬ 
fort of imagination. 

The acts of the will, wliich constitute the princi¬ 
pal part of the exercise of God’s presence, consist in ar¬ 
dent desires of the soul to unite itself to God, by perfect 
charity, and in frequent aspirations by which it raises 
itself to him. Tliese pious affections and emotions, are 
expressed by short and fervent prayers, which the saints 
call ejaculations. Cassian explains the use of this mode 
of prayer, by these words of the royal prophet, which 
the church repeats at the beginning of all the canonical 
hours: “O God! come to my assistance; O Lord! 
make haste to help me.”* Are you about to undertake 
any thing important, or arduous.^ beg God’s grace by 
this prayer, that ycu may succeed in doing it well; and, 
as in all things you stand in need of his assistance, 
be sure to have recourse to him continually. This text, 
he remarks, is well calculated to express our feelings, 
in every state of mind in which we may find ourselves. 
By it, we invoke the divine aid, humble ourselves, and 
acknowledge our wants; we raise our hearts to him, 
confide in his goodness, rely on bis care, and are 
prompted to love him, as our protector and our refuge. 
Finally, in the spiritual war, which we have to carry on 
against the enemies of our souls, we shall find, in these 
words, an impenetrable shield, a safe armour, and a 
strong rampart. St. Basil makes the practice of the ex¬ 
ercise of the presence of God consist in taking occasion 
from every thing to raise our hearts and minds to Him, 
‘‘by whom all things were made:t who stretched 
out the heavens like a pavilion, and founded the earth 
upon its own bases.”^: 

The psalms of David bear witness, how familiar this 
exercise must have been to him: 

“ I meditated on all thy works; I meditated upon the 
works of thy bands.”§ 

“ How great are thy works, O Lord ! thou hast made 

• Fg, Ixiz. 2. t John, i. 3. t ciii- 2. 5. § ib. cxlii. 6. 


160 


THB PRACTICE OF 


all things in wisdom; the earth is filled with thy rich¬ 
es.”* 

“ The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the 
firmament declareth the work of his liands. Day to day 
uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth know- 
ledge.”t 

“In the beginning, O Lord I thou foundest the earth r 
and the heavens are the works of thy hands. They shall 
perish, but thou remainest: and all of them shall 
grow old as a garment: and as a vesture thou shalt 
change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art 
always the self-same, and thy years shall not fail.”'J: 

“ The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are 
over all his works—The Lord is just in all his ways, 
and holy in all his works.”§ 

The aspirations and ejaculations of which we speak, 
may be considered with reference to the three states or 
w^ays, which ascetic writers distinguish in a spiritual 
life, and call the purgative, the illuminative, and the uni- 
tive way. According to this division, the aspirations 
which belong to the purgative way, consist in begging 
God’s pardon for our sins, in purifying our soul from vice, 
and in withdrawing it from all criminal affections to crea¬ 
tures. The acquisition of Christian virtues,the victory over 
our temptations, and the grace to know and do tlie will 
of God in all things, are the object of our ejaculations, 
when we are in the way called illuminative, 'fliose who 
have attained to the perfection of the unitive way, en¬ 
deavour by constant elevations of their souls to God, to 
be inseparably united to him by perfect charity. But, 
whatever ground there may be for this distinction, we 
ought not however to confine ourselves to ttiose affec¬ 
tions and aspirations, which seem to belong more pro¬ 
perly to any one of these three states or ways. Those 
which our love for God, will suggest to us without any 
study, are the best, and most useful. Nor is it necessa¬ 
ry to use many different ones ; the frequent, and fervent 
repetition of the same aspiration, may suffice to render 

♦ Ps. ciii. 24. f ib. xviii. 2. 3. ^ ib. ci. 26. 27. 28. § ib. cjdiv. 9, 17, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


161 


US attentive to the divine presence, for months, and years. 
Thus, if we find that we derive great benefit from certain 
aspirations, let us not seek for others; but devoutly and 
constantly employ them, as a most efficacious means to 
walk in the presence of God. 


SECT. III. 

. The exercise of God'^s presence exemplified in devout aspi¬ 
rations and fervent ejaculations, taken from holy scrip¬ 
ture, which may also serve as subjects of meditation, 
throughout the day. 

When we rise in the morning. 

“ O God! my God, to thee do I watch at the break 
of day — 1 have remembered thee upon my bed; I will 
meditate on thee, in the morning.”* 

“ My soul hath desired thee in the night—in the morn¬ 
ing early, I will watch to thee.”t 

“ My heart is ready, O God ! my heart is ready.J 
Conduct me, OLord ! in thy justice—direct my way in 
thy sight § — Conduct me, O Lord! in thy way, and I 
will walk in thy truth.”|| 

“ Make the way known to me,wherein I should walk. 
Teach me to do thy will: for thou art my GodlT—my 
portion in the land of the living.”** 

During mental prayer. 

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him *, 
to all that call upon him in truth. He will do the will 
of them that fear him; and he will hear their prayer, 
and save them.”tt 

■* Pa. Ixii. 2. 7. t Isaias, xivi. 9. J Pa, Ifi. 8. ^ ib. t. 9. 

n ib. 1»XT. lib. cxlii. 8. 10. ** ib. cxli. 6. 

tt ib. cxlir. 18. 19. 

S4* 



162 


THE PRACTICE or 


“As the hart panteth after the fountains of waters; 
so my soul panteth after thee, O God 

“Speak, Lord! for thy servant heareth.”t 

“1 will hear what the Lord God will speak in rne.”^ 
And whether it be truly he,who speaketh, we can judge 
by what the prophet adds: “for he will speak peace 
unto his people, and unto his saints, and unto them that 
are converted to the heart.” When God speaks, his 
voice conveys peace, hope,and comfort to the soul. “ 1 
know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith 
the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction.”§ 

“You shall pray to me, and I will hear you. You 
shall seek me, and shall find me, when you shall seek me 
with all your heart.”|| 

To obtain the pardon of our sins. 

“I have sinned, what shall I do.^ O keeper of men! 

1 am become burdensome to myself.”1[ 

Wo to us! because we have sinned. Therefore is 
our heart sorrowful—Convert us, O Lord! to thee; 
and we shall be converted: renew our days, as from the 
beginning.”** 

“ I will rise, and I will go to my father, and say to 
him: Father! I have sinned against lieaven, and before 
thee.”tt 

“ Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy 
holy spirit from me.”|t 

“ O ! let thy mercy be for my comfort—T^et thy ten¬ 
der mercies come unto me, and I shall liv('.”^§ 

“Who can understand sins from my secret ones, 
cleanse me, O Lord !”|||| 

To give thanks to God for our conversion, and animate ourselves to re¬ 
main faithlul to iiim. 

“ I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected 

* Fb. xli. 2. t 1 Kings, iii. 10. J Ps. Ixxxiv. 9. ^ Jeretn. xxix. 11. 

II ib. x.xix. 12. 18. HJob, vii. 20. Lament, v. Ifi. 17. 21. 
tt Luke, XV. 18. tt P®* *3* §§ ib. cxviii 711.77. 

y|j ib. xviii. 13. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


163 


me*—He sent from on high, and took me, and received 

me.”t 

“ He hatli led me on paths of justice, for his own 
name’s sake.”:!; 

“Blessed be the Lord; for he has shewn his wonder¬ 
ful mercy to me.”§ 

“ With expectation I have waited for the Lord; and 
he was attentive to me. And he lieard my prayer, and 
brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of 
dregs: and he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my 
steps.”11 

“I will praise thee,O Lord, my God ! with my whole 
heart; and I will glorify thy name for ever: for thy 
mercy is great towards me.”1[ 

“ Bless the Lord, O my soul! and never forget all he 
hath done for thee.”** 

“ The right hand of the Lord hath exalted me—I shall 
not die, but live; and I shall declare the works of the 
Lord.”tt 

“I will bless the Lord, who hath given me under¬ 
standing—Thou hast made known to me the ways of 
life.:j:J—Thou art the God of my heart—my portion for- 
ever.”§§ 


Against the censure and obloquy of worldlings. 

“Sinners have laid a snai’e for me; but 1 liave not 
erred from thy precepts.”|||| 

“ The sinner shall watch the just man; and shall gnash 
upon him with his teeth—but the Lord shall not leave 
him in his hands; nor condemn him, when he shall be 
judged.”1[ir 

“ They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; 
the venom of asps is under their lips.*** They have 
compassed me about with works of hatred—They will 
curse, and thou wilt bless.”ttt 


•Ps. iii. 6. f ib. xvii. 17. Jib. xxii. 3. § ib. xxx.22. |J ib. xxxix. 2. 3. 

IT ib. Ixxxv. 12. 13. ** ib. cii. 2. ff ib. cxvii. 16. 17. 

It ib. XV. 7. 11. ib. Ixxii. 26. |}[| ib. cxviii. 110. 

Ilf ib. xxxvi. 12. 2S. *** ib. cxxxix. 4. fjt ib. eviii. 3. 28. 


164 


THE PRACTICE OF 


“ They that render evil for good, have detracted nfie, 
because I followed goodness—Attend unto my help, O 
Lord! the God of my salvation.”^ 

“ The wicked have told me fables; but not as thy 
lavv.”t 

“Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the 
blind.”i 


To confide in God, in our troubles and afflictions. 

, “Cast thy care upon the I..ord, and he shall sustain 
thee : he shall not suffer the just to waver forever.”^ 

“ Come to me all you that labour, and are heavy laden, 
and I will refresh you—And you shall find rest to your 
souls.” II 

“ Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take 
courage, and wait thou for the Lord. ’’IT 

“ Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart— 
then, shalt thou walk confidently in thy wav—If thou 
sleep, thou shalt not fear; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep 
shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear; nor of the 
power of the wicked falling upon thee, for the Lord will 
be at thy side.”"^* 

“If God be for us, who is against us.”tt 

“The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man 
can do to me.”f f 

“Whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not 
make him sad.’’§§ 

“In thee, O Lord! have I hoped; let me never be 
confounded—I have hoped in the Lord ; I will be glad 
and rejoice in thy mercy.”|||| 

On withdrawing our affections from the world, and the enjoyments of 
this life. 

“ I have seen all things that are done under the sun; 
and behold! all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”^^ 

*' Ps. xxxvii. 21. 23. f >h- cxviii. 85. \ Mat. xv. 14. § Pg. xHv. ?3, 

Jj Mat. xi. 28. 29. IT Ps. xxvi. 14. ** Prov. iii. 5. 23-26. 

ft Kom. viii. 31. Ps. cxvii. 6. Prov. xii. 21, 

[III Ps. XXX. 2. 7. 8. Eccl. i. 14. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 165 

“ What doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole 
World, and lose his own soul.?”* 

“The time is short: it remaineth, that they who use 
this world, be as if they used it not; for the figure of this 
world passeth away.”t 

“Love not the world, nor those things which are in 
the world—All that is in the world, is the concupiscence 
of the flesh, and the concupiscensc of the eyes, and the 
pride of life — The world passeth away, and the concu¬ 
piscence thereof”! 

“ I have seen the wicked higlily exalted, and lifted up 
like the cedars of Libanus— I passed by, and lo I he was 
not—I sought him, and his place was not found.”§ 

“ When he shall die, he shall take nothing away ; nor 
shall his glory descend with him.”|| 

“ They sjiend their days in wealth, and in a moment 
they go down to hell.”11 

“ No man can serve two masters.”** 

“ Know you not that the friendship of this world, is 
the enemy of God .? Whosoever, therefore, will be a 
friend to this world, becometh an enemy to God.”tt 
“ Be not conformed to this world,!! — The whole 
world is seated in wickedness.”§§ 

“ Here, we have no permanent city; but we seek one 
to come.”|||| 

“Seek the things that are above, where Christ is sit¬ 
ting at the right hand of God: mind the things that are 
above, not the things that are on the earth — When 
Christ shall appear, who is our life, then shall we also 
appear with him in glory.”1111 

Against the temptations of diffidence and pusillanimity, which the most 
pious sometimes experience, in the practice of virtue. 

“ The Lord is at my right hand, that I be not moved; 
therefore my heart hath been glad.”*** 

*Mat. xvi. 26. f 1 Cor. vii. 29. 31. | 1 John, ii. 15. 16. 17* 

§ Ps. xxxvi 35. 36. II ib xlviii. 18. H Job, xxi. 13. Mat. vi. 24, 
l! James, iv. 4. || Rom xii. 2. §§ 1 John, 1 9* 

II I Heb. xiii. 14. HIT Colos. iii. 1. 2.4. 

«**Ps. XV. 8.9, 


166 


THE PRACTICE OP 


‘‘Omy God! enlig-bten my darkness; for by time, I 
shall be delivered from temptation.”* 

“ Though I shall walk in the midst of the shadow of 
death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me.”!" 

“ Prove me, O Lord ! and try me — for thy mercy is 
always before my eyes.— I will always hope; and I 
will add to all thy praise.”§ 

‘‘ He shall cry to me,and I will hear him ; I am with him 
in tribulation; I will deliver him, and I will glorify him;”|| 

^ “ Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith — ‘‘ God 
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above 
that which you are able.”** 

•‘Have a good heart: it is I — fear not. tt—My 
grace is sufficient for thee.”Lt 

“In the world you shall have distress; but have con¬ 
fidence : 1 have overcome the world.”§§ 

When we have met with humiliation. 

“ Before 1 was humbled, I offended — It is good for 
me that thou hast humbled me, that 1 may learn thy jus- 
tifications.”l||| 

“ I know, O Lord ! that thy judgments are equity : and, 
in thy truth, thou hast humbled me.”1[1[ 

“In thy humiliation, keep patience; for gold and sil¬ 
ver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the fur¬ 
nace of humiliation.”*** 

On humility and pride. 

“Not to us, O Lord! not to us; but to thy name give 
glory.”ttt 

“Every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled; 
and he thathumbleth himself, shall be exalted. 

“Pride goeth before destruction; and the spirit is 
lifted up, before a fall.”§§§ 

“ God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the 
humble.”|||||| 

* Ps. xvii. 29. 30. i ib. xxii. 4. ^ ib. xxv. 2. \ ib Ixx. 14. |[ ib. xc. 15, 
f Mat. viii. 26. 1 Cor. x. 13. ff Mark, vi. 50 

§§ John, xvi. 33. ||1| Ps cxviii. 67. 11. ITIT ib. cxviii. 75, 

***Eccl.ii 5. tlfPs. cxiii. 1. Luke, xiv. 11. 

Prov. xvi. 18. Ijlllj James, iv 6. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


167 


“ Never suffer pride to reign in thy mind, or in thy 
words; for, from it, all perdition took its beginning.”* 

“ When you shall have done all the things that are 
commanded you, say: we are unjirofitable servants; we 
have done that which we ought to do.”t 

“ What hast thou, that thou hast not received } and, 
if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou 
hadst not received it.^”j 

‘‘ Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of 
heart; and you shall find rest to your souls.”§ 

“ Let nothing be done through strife, nor by vain glo¬ 
ry ; but in humility, let each esteem others better than 
themselves—Let this mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus: wdio humbled himself, becoming obedi¬ 
ent unto death, even the death of the cross.”|| 

“ Let another praise thee, and not thy own mouth; a 
stranger, and not thy own lips. ’’IT 

“Be not high-minded**—Be not wise in your oivn 
conceits. ”tt 

“ A contrite and humble heart, O God! thou wilt not 
despise.”!:^ 

On patience and mildness. 

“ He that is patient, is governed with much wisdom; 
but he that is impatient, exalteth his folly.”§§ 

“ A mild answer breaketh wrath ; but a harsh W'ord 
stirreth up fury.”|||| 

“ In your patience, you shall possess your souls. 

“ Wo to them that have lost patience.”*** 

“ Set a watch, O Lord ! before my mouth; and a door 
round about my lips.”ttt 

“ The servant of the Lord must not wrangle; but be 
gentle towards all meri.”Jl:l: 

“ And they that sought evils to me, spoke vain things: 
— and I became as a man that heareth not, and hath no 

* Tob. iv. 14. tLuke, xvii. 10. | 1 Cor. iv. 7. ^ Mat. xi. 20. 

(I Phil. ii. 3. 5. 8. H Prov. xxvii. 2. ** Rom. xi. 19. ft ib. xii. 16. 
ti Ps. 1. 19. Prov.xiv. 29. ||I| ib. xv. 1. Luke, xxi. 19. 

Eccl. ii. 16. tft Ps- cxI. 3. J||2Tim. ii. 24. 


168 


THE TRACTICE OF 


reproofs in his mouth •, for in thee, O Lord ! have I hop¬ 
ed.”*' 

“ I was troubled, and I spoke not.”t 
“ The bruised reed he (Christ) shall not break, and 
smoking flax he shall not quench—He shall not be sad, 
nor troublesome.:]; He shall be led as a sheep to the 
slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shear¬ 
er, and he shall not opeft his mouth.”§ 

“ If, doing well, you sutler patiently, this is thanks- 
worthy before God. For unto this you have been call¬ 
ed: because Christ also sufl'ered for us, leaving you an 
example, that you should follow his steps—who, when he 
was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threat¬ 
ened not; but delivered himself to him that judged him 
unjustly.(I — The high-priest rising up, said to him: An- 
swereth thou nothing to the things hich these vvitness 
against thee.? Hut Jesus held his peace.”1[ 

“Do thy works in meekness, and thou shalt be belov¬ 
ed**—keep thy soul in meekness.’’ft 

“Walk worthy of the vocation in which you are call¬ 
ed, with all humility, and mildness, with patience, sup¬ 
porting one another in charity.”|J 


On the love of God for us, and that which we ought to have for 
him. 


“Thus saith the Lord — I have loved thee with an 
everlasting love.”§§ 

“ Thou sparest all; because they are thine, O Lord ! 
who lovest souls.”|||| 

“ Can a woman forget her infant.? — and if she should 
forget, yet will I not forget thee.”^^ 

“The Lord’s portion is his people — he kept him as 
the apple of his eye.”*** 

“ God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten 

Son.”ttt 


♦ Ps. xxxvii. 13. 15. 16. j ib. Ixxvi. 5. | Isai. xlii. 3. 4. § ib. liii. 7. 

U 1 Pet. ii. 20. 22. 23. If Mat. xxvi. 62. 63. **Eccl.iii. 9. +tib. x, 31. 
Epb. iv. 1.2. §§ .lerem. xxxi. 3. |||| Wisd. xi. 27. 

Tin Isai. xlix. 15. •** Deut. xxxii. 9.10. 

iff John, iii. 16. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 165 

“ He (Christ) loved me, and delivered himself for 
me.”* 

“ Let us, therefore, love God; because God first hath 
loved us.”t 

“ If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him 
be anathema.”! 

“ I will love thee, O Lord ! my strength — my refuge 
— my protector.”§ 

“ What have I in heaven.^ and besides thee, what do I 
desire upon earth .?”|| 

•Gal. ii. 20. 11 John, iv. 19. J 2 Cor. xvi. 22. § Ps. xvii. 2. 3. 

]J ib. Ixxii. 25. 




15 


170 


THE PRACTICE OF 


CHAPTER VL 


ON READING. 


Reading, as a spiritual exercise, has always been in 
common practice, and highly recommended, not only to 
persons who have consecrated themselves to God, in re¬ 
ligious communities, but generally to all those who, 
though they live in the world, have firmly determined to 
lead a pious life. It has brought about the conversion of 
numberless sinners, and it still contributes much to the 
preservation of true devotion. Countless examples at¬ 
test this, and therefore in all religious orders, care has 
been taken to assign particular portions of time to this 
salutary practice. Now, as there are bad books, some 
which are indifferent, and others that are good, we must 
apply the same classification to reading. There is one 
kind, ivhich is bad and prohibited; another, which is in¬ 
different and tolerated ; and another, W'hich is prescribed 
and enjoined on us. In reference to these three charac¬ 
teristics, we may consider all that appertains to read¬ 
ing— It is the division adopted by Bourdaloue, from 
whose “ Retraite*^ this chapter is almost entirely trans¬ 
lated. 




CHRISTIAN PEtirSCTIOJi, 


171 


SECT. I. 


Badj and prohibited reading. 


This is of two kinds ; the one bad, or at least danger¬ 
ous, with respect to morals; the other, with respect to 
faith, and true piety. The former, which tends to cor¬ 
rupt the soul, and lead it to vice, is not common in reli¬ 
gious families, and upon tliis, it is hardly necessary to 
enlarge. I shall content myself with inserting a few re- 
maiks from two celebrated and popular writers, which 
go to show that the great bulk of romances, under what¬ 
ever title they may appear, belong to this kind of reading. 

“Romances,” says Dr. Beatty,“are a very unprofitable 
study; most of them being unskilfully written, and the 
greater part indecent and immoral — To contract a hab¬ 
it of reading romances is extremely dangerous. They 
who do so, lose all relish for history, philosophy, and 
other useful knowledge; acquire a superficial and frivo¬ 
lous way of thinking; and never fail to form false notions 
of life, which come to be very hurtful to young people 
when they go out into the world. I speak not rashly, 
but with too good evidence, when I affirm, that many 
young persons of both sexes have, by reading romances, 
been ruined ; and that many of the follies, and not a few 
of the crimes, now prevalent, may be traced to the same 
source.”* 

“ Such compositions,” writes the learned author of the 
lives of the saints,“are extremely pernicious, both to mo¬ 
rals and true literature — By substituting falsehood for 
true history, anc4 a foolish, idle amusement instead of so¬ 
lid instruction, they destroy in the mind that laudable 
thirst after truth, which the Autlior of nature imprinted 
in it — Another most pernicious effect of such read¬ 
ing is, that instead of forming, it perverts and depraves 


* Mor. Science, No. 838. 


172 


.*1IS PRACTICE OF 


the heart, poisons the morals, and excites the passions, 
which it is the great business of a Christian to restrain. 
This is true, even of tliose writings of this kind, which 
seem least dangerous; since such fictions only please by 
insensibly flattering vanity, pride, ambition, and the like 
criminal inclinations. If this be so with regard to those 
romances, vvhicli, by some persons in the world, are 
called innocent, what censures shall we find harsh enough 
for the generality of such compositions, which are filled 
with scenes and intrigues of love, and tend to aw'ake, 
cherish, and entertain the most dangerous of all the pas¬ 
sions ?”* 

As to that kind of dangerous reading, which might 
impair our faith, and beguile us from the straight path of 
solid piety, it is but too common, even among persons 
who glory in their belief of all that the church teaches; 
and we cannot employ, in relation to it,too much vigilance 
and precaution. Mow many books are spread abroad, 
which are, evidently and professedly, replete with 
errors against catholic faith! How many are there of 
which the doctrine is, to say tlie least, suspicious; and 
whose venom is the more to be dreaded, as it is more 
subtle and concealed ! How many are filled with max¬ 
ims tending to discredit good and ancient usages, and 
abolish them, for the sake of introducing novelties! We 
may say with certainty, that the reading of such books, 
is highly pernicious. Tlius the church has most express¬ 
ly prohibited some of them, and although she has not 
formally declared herself with regard to the rest, be¬ 
cause that would have led to endless disquisitions, her 
ministers and true pastors have spoken of them sufficient¬ 
ly in her behalf, and laboured to expose to the faithful 
the poison that is offered to their souls. 

Reading of tliis sort is especially injurious to those 
who have not sufficient knowledge to discover, nor 
enough of piety to guard against the evil tendency of 
such works. And it is a very frivolous excuse, which 
they frequently offer in their defence, that they read 


* Butler, Life of St. Teresa. 


CHRISTIAN TERPECTION. 


173 


them merely through curiosity, and to see what the au¬ 
thors can say on subjects, with regard to which they 
know very ivell what they are to believe, and how they 
should act. So that they do not perceive the danger and 
contagion of which we speak. This is precisely as 
though, while swallowing poisoned liquor, they should 
consider themselves in safety, because they perceived in 
it nothing but what is agreeable to the sight and taste. 
Would that they could see this contagion! they would 
then be better able to avoid it. But, as ibey do not per¬ 
ceive it, and are yet warned by others of its presence, is 
it not the dictate of wisdom that they should absolutely 
reject, that, which would imperceptibly infect, and mis¬ 
lead them ? 

This is not, however, the course which they general¬ 
ly pursue. Because certain books are fashionable, they 
desire to see them: and, through the natural perversity 
of the human heart, it is sufficient that books should be 
censured and proscribed, to stimulate and increase curi¬ 
osity. In vain do wise and vigilant guardians, endeavour 
to exclude them from the circle of their influence. Their 
W'atchfulness is eluded: the books are obtained ; they are 
perused by stealth, but with assiduity, and gorge the 
soul, as with the daintiest nourishment. It is amazing 
that all this should be done, without scruple, in spite of 
the censure and admonitions of superiors, and in opposi¬ 
tion to the practice of all sincere and pious Christians. 
But, in truth, is it done without scruple.? Can they, who 
indulge in such reading and under such circumstances, 
assure themselves that they have nothing to fear, nothing 
to reproach themselves with.? and if they be so persuad¬ 
ed, is it not the grossest illusion .? 

It would be much more conformable to the spirit of 
our holy religion and genuine piety, to observe the fol¬ 
lowing rules, and adhere to them inviolably: 

1 st. To read no book against the wish of one’s superior. 

2d. To mortify that excessive longing, which some per¬ 
sons feel, to read all new publications, under pretence that 
they are qualified to judge of their merit and orthodoxy, 




174 


THE PRACTICE OP 


and that they run no risk, and expose themselves to no 
danger in so doing. 

3d. To abstain, in general, from all reading of a doubt¬ 
ful, or suspicious character. Were these principles uni¬ 
versally adopted and strictly followed, we should not have 
to deplore the loss of so many souls,who‘ in the wreck of 
religious and moral virtues, are “ Tossed to and fro, 
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, in the 
wickedness of men, in craftiness, by which they lie in 
wait to deceive.”* 


SECT. II. 

Indij[f:rent^ and tolerated reading. 


There are books, which are neither good nor bad, 
considered in reference to faith and morals. These are 
works of imagination, of which the subjects have no re¬ 
lation, either to the truths of religion, or the duties of 
piety. They are read for pastime, and recreation, with¬ 
out expectation of edification for the soul, but at the 
same time, without the fear of danger. In well regula¬ 
ted families, much attention is not bestowed on this kind 
of reading. It is an unprofitable sort of amusement — and 
this is commonly the limit of its censure. However, 
by a tolerance, which insinuates itself by degrees, and 
whose increase is rapid, the heads of families have not 
generally thought it their duty to prohibit absolutely this 
description of reading. Thus their silence, and habitual 
usage, appear to authorise them. 

But if persons have not sufficient self-command to de» 
ny themselves these vain recreations of the mind, at 
least, they should be on their guard against the numerous 
evils and frequent abuses, which are almost inseparable 
from them. 

* Eph. iv. 14. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


175 


1st. As soon as they have contracted the taste for 
reading of this description, they devote too much of their 
time to it. Of that, for which a few moments ought to suf¬ 
fice, they make a daily, and habitual occupation. For the 
taste is always accompanied by some degree of passion, 
and the moment a passion has taken possession of the 
soul, it observes no bounds. 

2dly. The consequence is, they become so devoted 
to a book which pleases them, that they neglect, for it, 
their ordinary occupations and duties. They curtail 
them in part, and perform the rest in a hurry. If during 
the day they cannot command all the time they desire, 
they borrow from their sleep during the night; and, pro¬ 
vided they can accomplish their gratification, they re¬ 
gard not the time they lose, or their health which they 
impair. 

3dly. What is yet more pernicious, is, that through 
this vain reading, with which they eagerly feast their 
imagination, they, by degrees, become disgusted with 
spiritual books. They read them no longer, but as a 
task, and that they may not give them up entirely. But 
hardly have they run their eyes over a few pages, when 
they return immediately to the others, and devote to 
them their whole attention. The best works, and those 
which most abound, not only with religion, but with 
sense and reason, appear nothing to them in comparison 
with the former: and, through a fatal turn of mind, into 
which they have been gradually led, they prefer idle spe¬ 
culations to solid instruction, fictions to truth, and art¬ 
fully contrived systems to “ That doctrine, which,” as 
St. Paul speaks, “ is according to piety.”* 

4thly. They even derive from this a species of glory. 
They pique themselves on their just and nice discern¬ 
ment in appreciating, and criticising well written books. 
They commit to memory select passages, which they re¬ 
cite, well or ill, as the case may be, but always with a 
certain degree of ostentation. They acquire by this 
means, or aim at acquiring the reputation of persons of 


1 Timothy, vi, 3. 


176 


THE PRACTICE OF 


talent and extensive reading. Some indeed are jealous 
of this, who are not ashamed to acknowledge their ig¬ 
norance of the'leading maxims of a spiritual life, and 
even tlie fundamental principles of the science of salva¬ 
tion. 


SECT. III. 


Gooclj and pious reading. 


“ As in corporal distempers, says Butler,f a total loss 
of appetite, wliich no medicines can restore, forbodes 
certain decay and death: so, in the spiritual life of the 
soul, a neglect or disrelish of pious reading and instruc¬ 
tion, is a most fatal symptom:—What hopes can we en¬ 
tertain of a person to whom the science of virtue, and of 
eternal salvation, doth not seem inteiesting, or worth his 
application ? It is impossible, says St. Chrysostom, that 
a man should be saved, who neglects' assiduous pious 
reading or consideration. 

“By pious reading, the mind is instructed and enlight¬ 
ened, and the affections of the heart are purified and in¬ 
flamed. It is recommended by St. Paul as the summary 
of spiritual advice t Hence the pious are insatiable in 
this exercise, and, according to the golden motto of Tho¬ 
mas a Kempis, they find their chief delight “ in a closet 
with a good book.” Worldly and tepid Christians 
stand certainly in the utmost need of this help to virtue. 
The world is a whirlpool of business, pleasure, and sin. 
Its torrent is always beating upon their hearts, ready to 
break in, and bury them under its flood, unless frequent 

t Preface to the Lives of the Saints, 
t 1 Tim. ir. 13. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


177 


pious reading and consideration oppose a strong fence 
to its waves. The more deeply a person is immersed in 
its tumultuous cares, so much the greater ought to be his 
solicitude to find leisure to breathe, after the fatigues 
and dissipation of business and company; to plunge his 
heart, by secret prayer, in the ocean of the divine im¬ 
mensity, and, by pious reading, to afford his soul some 
spiritual refection; as the wearied husbandman, from his 
labour, recruits his spent vigour and exhausted strength, 
by allowing his body necessary refreshment and re¬ 
pose.” 

Two things contribute to render reading useful and 
salutary: the nature of the book we read, and the man¬ 
ner in which we read it. As to the quality of the book, 
although there are doubtless some books of piety much 
better than others, every one, in the choice he makes of 
them, can consult his own inclination and taste. Some 
persons prefer books which instruct them,—others those 
which touch the feelings. Some take more pleasure in 
histories, and the lives of the saints, which present them 
examples for imitation; others are attracted by spiritual 
treatises, which analyze subjects profoundly, and con¬ 
vince them by argument. However this may be, it 
seems of little consequence to what sort of books we 
are attached, provided they are good books, that is to 
say, orthodox, and from which we can derive assistance 
for our improvement and perfection. 

But it is not sufficient to read them: we must read 
them well; for often every thing depends on the manner, 
and there is, in undertakings of every kind, a method 
which makes them more effectual. To read in haste, as 
though one were running a race, is to incur the risk of 
remembering nothing, and receiving no impression; since 
it is impossible, in that case, to pay sufficient attention. 
Food taken too greedily and fast, does often more harm 
to the health than good. To read too much at a time, 
is to fill the mind with a multitude of ideas, which it 
cannot arrange, and of which it will retain but a confus¬ 
ed and superficial view. Excess of food, however 
wholesome, oppresses the stomach and disables it from 


178 


THE PRACTICE OF 


digesting. To read, for the purpose of remembering 
cerlain striking passages, certain new or uncommon 
thoughts, is to make one’s reading a study ; now all stu¬ 
dy, dries and distracts the lieart. To read, and linger 
over the beauty of the style, and the purity of the lan¬ 
guage, is to fall into the opposite extreme, and to amuse 
oneself with dowers inst«^ad of gathering the fruits. 

From all this it is easy to conclude how we ought to 
practise spiiitual reading, and the rules we should ob¬ 
serve in its fi' i formance: 

1st. To address ourselves, in the first place, to Godj 
and to lift up our hearts to him to ask the illumination of 
his spirit; for it is God alone who gives the increase, es¬ 
pecially to his word, whether read or heard. 

2d. 'fo read deliberately, and weigh the ideas well,to 
the end that they may make a bettei* impression, and in¬ 
sinuate themselves gently into the soul; like the dew 
which fidls drop by drop, and so penetrates the ground. 

3d. To lead little at a time, accounting as more 
valuable, a short exercise, performiid with retlection, 
than one which, though longer, is more superficial and 
ill-digested. 

4th. 'Po pause upon certain passages, by which we 
feel particularly struck ; to go over them again and again, 
to afiply them to ourselves, and give the truths which 
they contain time to sink deeply into our minds and pe¬ 
netrate our hearts “ If we would read for the spiritual 
profit of our souls,” says llutler, ‘-our motive must be a 
sincere desire of improving ourselves in divine love, in 
humility, meekness, and other virtues, (hiiiosit yand van¬ 
ity, shut the door of the heart to the Holy Ghost, and 
stifle in it all affections of piety — We must make the 
application of what we read to ourselves, entertain pious 
affections, and form particular resolutions for the prac¬ 
tice of virtue. It is the admonition of a great servant of 
God: Whatever good instructions you read, he says, un¬ 
less you resolve, and effectually endeavour to practise 
them with your whole heart, you have not read to the 
benefit of your soul. For knowledge, without works, 
only accuseth and.condemneth.”* 

* Preface to the Lives of the Saints, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


179 


5th To read ov(M' from time to time certain books which 
Rre generally esteemed, and of wliicii vve have personal¬ 
ly experienced the usefulness, and solidity. It is a mis¬ 
take into which many j)ersons allow themselves to fall, 
to be unwilling to i^ad the same book twice, and to sup¬ 
pose that having pleased on the tirst peiusal, it will be 
wearisome at the second. A solid book is like a rich 
mine, in which we can always find something worth dig¬ 
ging for. If the fiist reading has been useful to us, the 
second would be still more lieneficial, and every subse¬ 
quent perusal of the same, would contribute to our im¬ 
provement, y 

6th. 'I'o select out of what we read one or two pious 
reflections, with which we are most aflected, and renew 
them often during the day. 

7th. It is also a very good practice, in reading pious 
books, to mark those passages, which make a greater 
impression upon our mind-j, and keep them, as it were, 
in reserve, to read them over, when we stand most in 
need of the sentiments and affections, which they first 
excited in us. 

From these observations, the reader will easily per¬ 
ceive that there is a great resemblance, between spiritual 
reading and mental prayer. And in fact,these two exercises 
are so much alike, that to read slowly, to pause, now and 
then, reflect on what we have read, and apply it to our¬ 
selves, is the usurd means, by which we acquire the hab¬ 
it of meditation, and become familiar with the ordinary 
method of mental prayer. 

I shall conclude this section with one or two more ex¬ 
tracts from Butler, on the reading of the lives of the 
saints: “Whether we consult reason, authority or ex¬ 
perience,” he says, “ we may boldly affirm, that except 
the sacred writings, no book has reclaimed so many sin¬ 
ners, or formed so many fioly men to perfect virtue, as 
that of ‘ the Lives of the Saints.’* 

“ Though vve cannot imitate all the actions of the 
saints,” he remarks elsewhere, “ vve can learn from 

• Preface to the Lives of the Saints. 


180 ' 


THE PRACTICE OF 


them, to practise humility, patience, and other virtues, 
in a manner suiting our circumstances, and state of life” 
—certain actions of some saints, which were performed 
by a special instinct of the Holy Ghost, are to us rather 
objects of admiration, than imitation: but even in these, 
we read lessons of perfect virtue, and a reproach of our 
own sloth, who dare undertake nothing for God. 

“Some may say, what edification can persons in the 
world reap from the lives of apostles, bishops, and re¬ 
cluses ? To this it may be answered, that though the 
functions of their stale differ from ours, yet, patience, 
humility, penance, zeal, and charity, which all their ac¬ 
tions breathe, are necessary virtues in all persons, Chris¬ 
tian perfection is, in its spirit and essence, every where 
the same, how much soever the means or exercises may 


Introd. Discourse, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


181 


CHAPTER Vll. 


ON EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. 


SECT. I. 


The importance of the examination of conscience. 


The examination of conscience is considered by the 
saints as one of the most efficacious means we have to 
promote our spiritual advancement, and they all unite 
in recommending its practice. St. Chrysostom, writ¬ 
ing upon these words of the psalmist, ‘‘ The things 
you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your 
beds,”* is of opinion that we should examine our 
conscience every night; and he assigns these two rea¬ 
sons for it: Because, then, he says, we shall be more 
particular, the next day, to guard against committing the 
same faults, of which we found we were guilty, the 
day before. And because, the thought that we have 

* Ps. iv. 5. 

16 




182 


THE PRACTICE OF 


to examine, at night, what we do during the day, will 
cause us to watch over ourselves w’ith greater dili¬ 
gence. As merchants carefully set down their gains 
and losses, compute them daily, and endeavour to 
account to themselves for both, with a view to increase 
the former and retrieve the latter, so, in like manner, 
we should daily take notice of, and strive to repair 
the spiritual losses we sustain in the momentous af¬ 
fair of our salvation, and, at the same time, think 
on, and adopt the means by which we may be able 
to add to the small stock of virtues and good works, 
which we have already acquired. 

Another great advantage of the daily examination 
of our conscience, is, that, when made diligently, it 
extirpates bad habits, and prevents vice from taking 
root in our hearts. The case is very different with 
those who omit to examine themselves daily, or do 
it negligently. Well might we say of them, in the 
language of scripture, “ They have not known nor 
understood, they walk on in darkness* — they know 
not where they fall.”t Again, “Where there is 
no knowledge of the soul,” says the wise man, 
“ there is no good.” J The saints compare the con¬ 
science of such persons to the “ field of the slothful 
man, and the vineyard of the foolish man,” which 
Solomon saw “ all filled with nettles, and covered 
with thorns.” § 

St. Ignatius considered the examination of con¬ 
science as one of the best and most useful means we 
could use to make great progress in piety, and pre¬ 
ferred it, in some measure, even to mental prayer. 
He not only prescribed it to all the members 
of the society of which he was the founder, but he 
wished that those among them who would be em¬ 
ployed in the functions of the holy ministry, should 
strenuously recommend its frequent practice to all 
persons who would put themselves under their spir¬ 
itual care. 

*Ps. Ixxxi. 6. t Prov. iv. 19. + Prov. xix. 2. § Prov. xxiv. 30. 31. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


183 


SECT. II. 


Two sorts of examination of conscience. 


There are two sorts of examination of conscience; 
one general, the other particular. 

I. The general examination of conscience is a re¬ 
view of our conduct, to discover all the sins of 
which we have been guilty, in thoughts, words, ac¬ 
tions and omissions, within a certain period of time. 
It contains five points. 

1. We must call to mind the benefits which we 
have received from God, both general and particu¬ 
lar, and testify our gratitude for them, by fervent 
acts of thanksgiving. We begin thus, in order that 
the consideration of God’s goodness and mercy, may 
excite in us a greater sorrow for the sins of which 
we find ourselves guilty in our examination. 

2. We must earnestly beg of God light and grace, 
to know and detest our sins. 

‘3. We must carefully examine our consciences, en¬ 
deavouring to call to mind all the sins which we 
have committed in thoughts, words, actions and 
omissions, ever since our last examination, or from 
the time that we have to make our general exami¬ 
nation. 

4. W’e must beg God’s pardon for the sins of 
which we find ourselves guilty, and detest them from 
the bottom of our Iieart. 

5. We must make a firm purpose of amendment, 
resolving, with the help of divine grace, never more to 
commit them, and to do all we can to atone for 
them. 

II. Particular examination, which the saints recom¬ 
mend as one of the principal means of perfection, is 
an exact search not only of the sins, but of the 


184 


THE PRACTICE OF 


least faults that relate to one vice, one virtue, or 
some other particular subject. The object we should 
have in view in making it is, to correct ourselves of 
our faults, and become, as much as possible, irre- 
prehensible before God and men. 

In the choice of the subject of our particular ex¬ 
amination, we ought to be directed by our confes¬ 
sor, who will also be the best judge of the length 
of time during which we should continue it upon 
the same subject. In general, we should choose 
among our habitual failings, passions, or vices, that 
which has the greatest influence upon our whole con¬ 
duct, which exposes us to the greatest danger, and is, 
on this account, the greatest obstacle to our salva¬ 
tion and perfection. This once ascertained, we 
should take this failing, passion, or vice, for the sub¬ 
ject of our daily particular examination, till such a 
time as we have obtained a complete victory over 
it — offering to God our prayers, meditations, confes¬ 
sions, communions, and other exercises of piety for 
that end. 

The better to show the nature and object of this 
efficacious means of perfection, I shall subjoin sev¬ 
eral examples of its practical application to different 
subjects. 

Particular examination on Faith. 

1. Is your Faith true, and sincere.'* 

Do you believe all revealed truths, even the least, 
and without any exception } 

Do you believe them firmly, and without hesita¬ 
tion } 

Do you believe them from the true motive of 
Faith, namely, because God has revealed them to his 
Church, that teaches them to us } 

Upon this principle, do you believe, equally, all 
the truths which the church believes and teaches, 
whether they be repugnant or not to the notions 
that might arise in your minds from the suggestions 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


185 


of corrupt nature^ self-love, pride, early prejudices, 
or any other source of error 

2. Do you profess your Faith, before God and 
men, by your thoughts, words, and actions? 

When thoughts contrary to Faith arise in your 
mind, do you endeavour to banish them, and “bring 
your understanding into captivity to the obedience of 
Christ, * the author and finisher of our Faith” f — 
saying to him, “ I do believe, Lord! help thou my 
unbelief.” J 

Have you not, by your silence, or equivocal mode of 
speaking on the truths of Faith, when they have been 
questioned or denied in your presence, given others 
reason to suspect that you did not believe them firm- 
ly? 

Are you not one of those who “ are ashamed of the 
Gospel” and “ detain the truth of God in injustice,” who, 
through human respect, or some other bad principle, 
dare not advocate the maxims of religion before per¬ 
sons who attack them ? 

Have you not sometimes been ashamed to practise 
your religion—omitting to say your prayers, grace be¬ 
fore and after meals, and even to make the sign of 
the cross, in the presence of others? 

3. Do you view every thing in the light of Faith ? 

Do you judge of the evils and good things of this 

life by the principles of Faith, and not according to 
the maxims of the world ? Are your joy and grief 
caused, not by what you see, but by what you be¬ 
lieve ? 

In trying circumstances, difficulties, and doubts, do 
you let Faith preside over your determinations, and 
regulate your conduct ? 

In the ordinary occurrences of life, even in the 
discharge of your duties, in the practice of virtue, &c. 
are you actuated by motives of Faith, and not mere¬ 
ly led by habit, or by natural and human motives ? 

♦ 2 Cor. X. 5. f Heb. xii. 2. J Mark, ix. 23, 

16 * 


186 


THE PRACTICE OF 


Ilia word, do you “live by Faith?” which is the 
life of the just in this land of pilgrimage. * 

Particular examination on Hope, 

Are you persuaded that God wishes you to be 
saved, and that he will give you all the graces ne¬ 
cessary for it ? 

In times of temptation and spiritual aridities, do 
you not give way to melancholy feelings, falsely im¬ 
agining that God has forsaken you ? Are you. On 
the contrary, fully persuaded, that he will never suf¬ 
fer you to be tempted above your strength, and that 
he will never abandon you, if you do not yourself 
abandon him first ? 

After having been guilty of some great transgres¬ 
sion, or frequently relapsed into the same faults, have 
you not continued in the state of sin, either through 
despair of God’s pardon, or presumption on his mer¬ 
cy ? 

Particular examination on Confidence in God. 

A Christian who is well grounded in this virtue, re¬ 
lies entirely upon the goodness and mercy of God, 
both for the time being, and for the time to come. 

He does not depend upon the favor and protection 
of men; and if he sometimes uses their assistance, he 
never courts it with anxiety, nor is he disturbed, when 
they refuse it to him. 

He would see himself destitute of friends, and ex¬ 
posed to the frowns of the world, without being dis¬ 
mayed or disconcerted. “ The Lord is the protector 
of my life,” said the Psalmist, “ of whom shall I be 
afraid ?” f — “ Though I should walk in the midst 
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou 
art with me.” J 


Heb. X. 38. 


t Ps. xxvi. 1. 


X Ps. xxii. 4. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


187 


» 

The fear of wanting health, talents, or means, does 
not prevent him from undertaking, what duty requires 
of him. 

He does not apprehend to be deprived of the ne¬ 
cessaries of life ; for he knows that they will never 
be wanting to him who serves God faithfully. 

In the management of his temporal affairs, he pro¬ 
ceeds wdth as much care as if all the success depend¬ 
ed upon him; and yet, he expects it from the bless¬ 
ing, which he hopes God will give to his exertions. 

He does not even rely upon the spiritual meajis of 
salvation and perfection, which he may happen actual¬ 
ly to enjoy, but upon God, who placed them within his 
reach — so that if he be deprived of them, he hum¬ 
bly submits to the dispensation of Heaven, and experi¬ 
ences no abatement in his fervor and devotion. 

Finally, in all his wants, either for body or soul, he 
looks to God for assistance and protection. 

s . 

Particular examination on the Love of God. 

I. Do you love God purely, that is, because he is 
infinitely good, perfect, and deserving of all love ? 

When you have loved him, because he is good, 
has it not been, only, because he is good to you, 
because he promises you great rewards in heaven? 

When you have said that you loved him because 
of his infinite perfections, has your heart been in 
accordance with your tongue? 

Do you love God above all things, that is, more 
than all the goods of this life, more than any person, 
more than yourself ? 

Do you prefer his service to all the riches, honors, 
and pleasures of this world ? 

Would you be ready to sacrifice your own pleasure, 
your health, and even your life, rather than to lose 
his grace, by sin ? 

Do you love God with your whole heart, so that 
you love nothing but in him, and for his sake ? 

With your whole mind — being delighted to think of 
him, and of the means of pleasing him in all things? 


188 


THE PRACTICE OF 


With your whole soul — subjecting to him all its 
faculties, after the example of the royal prophet, who 
said, “ Shall not my soul be subject to God?” * 

With your whole strength — sparing yourself no trou¬ 
ble, minding no difficulty, when the will of God re¬ 
quires you to act? 

II. Is the Love you have for God such, that you 
only wish what he wishes, desire what he desires, 
love what he loves, hate what he hates ? 

Do you resign yourself with joy to the dispensations 
of his providence, in all things ? 

Do you rejoice when you see, or hear of persons 
who serve God faithfully, and love him with all their 
heart ? 

Do you, on the contrary, grieve, when he is offended, 
and endeavour to make some amends for the trans¬ 
gressions of others, by your piety and fervor ? 

Particular examination on the Love of our neighbour. 

Have you rejoiced at your neighbour’s happiness, and 
grieved at his misfortune ? 

Are you always willing and ready to do good to him, 
whenever you have it in your power to do so ? 

In your intercourse with him, do you show proper 
regard for his opinions and sentiments, take care 
not to hurt his feelings, and try, “ as much as it is in 
you, to have peace with all men.”t 

Do you take great care not to speak, nor to listen to 
those who speak, of the faults of others, unless duty 
compels you ? 

In a word, do you fulfil in regard to your neighbour 
the two great rules laid down in holy scripture ; “ Ne¬ 
ver do to another what thou wouldst hate to have 
done to thee by another.” J And — “ As you would 
that men should do to you, do you also to them in 
like manner § 

* Ps. Ixi. 2. t Rom. xii. 18. J Tob. iv. 16. § Luke, vi. 31. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


189 


Is not your conduct towards your neighbour regu- ' 
lated by your own interest, your feelings, and inclina¬ 
tion ? 

Is it not, on this account, that you seek bis company, 
enter into bis views, approve bis principles, praise 
him, and take bis part, on every occasion, even 
against your better judgment, and perhaps against 
your conscience ? 

Do you love him for God’s sake, independently 
of bis amiable qualities, and kindness to you — remem¬ 
bering these words of the Gospel: if you love 

those that love you, what reward shall you have ?” * 

Have you borne patiently with the imperfections of 
others, treating them with the same kindness that we 
expect from them — following the rule given us by 
St. Paul: “ Bear ye one another’s burdens; and so 
shall you filfil the law of Christ?” f 

When your friends have communicated to you, what 
they called just causes of complaint against certain per¬ 
sons, have you done ail you could to soothe their 
minds, and pacify them ? 

Have you carefully avoided suspicions, injurious to 
your neighbour, rash judgments, and detraction ? 

When you have thought that some one had spoken, 
or acted unkindly with regard to you, have you not 
falsely imagined that you were then, authorized to re¬ 
taliate ; instead of following the precept of St. Paul : 

“ Render no man evil for evil, be not overcome by 
evil, but overcome evil by good?”J 

Particular examination on our Actions in general. 

Have we taken great care to perform our actions in 
the state of grace, without which they are dead, and 
none of them, not even the best, can procure us hea¬ 
ven ? 

Have we oifered them to God, and performed them 
in conformity to his will, and for his glory ? 


* Mat. V. 46. 


t Gal. vi. 2. 


X Rom, xii. 17, 21. 


190 


THE PRACTICE OF 


Knowing that God, being the first principle of all 
his creatures, ought to be their last end, have we re¬ 
flected that we transgress this indispensable rule, not on¬ 
ly by acting with a bad intention, but also when our 
intentions are neither good nor bad, and when we act 
without any intention ? 

Upon this principle, 1. Have we rejected all bad in¬ 
tentions? 2. Have we avoided to act from motives 
merely human, morally good, but not supernatural? 
3. Have we guarded against acting, through habit, 
without attention, and, as it were, by rote ? 

Have we made use of the four means which the saints 
recommend, as most efficient to induce us to do all our 
actions well, viz. 

To remember the presence of God ; 

To perform every one of them, as if we were to die 
immediately after it; 

To bear in mind the account which we shall have 
to give for it to God ; 

To consider the reward or the punishment, which 
will follow it ? 

Particular examination on our daily religious duties, 

1. Do you rise at a regular hour, and not too late in 
the morning ? 

Do you rise every day at the appointed time, with¬ 
out unnecessary delay? 

Do you give your first thought to God, adore his di¬ 
vine majesty, and offer yourself to him, to do his will 
in all things, after the example of Christ, who, “ com¬ 
ing into the world said : behold! I come to do thy will, 
O God.?”* 

Are you careful never to omit to say your morn¬ 
ing prayers, before you apply to your usual occupa¬ 
tions ? 

Do you endeavaur to hear mass every morning ? 

Are you punctual in performing the spiritual exercis- 


* Hcb. X. 5. 9. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


191 


es, which you have prescribed to yourself, with the 
approbation of your spiritual director ; such as medi¬ 
tation, pious reading, beads, &c..^ 

Before going to bed, do you say your night prayers, 
examine your conscience, and place yourself in the state 
in which you would wish to be at the hour of your 
death ? 

After your night prayers, do you avoid all unneces¬ 
sary talk, and occupation ? 

Is God the object of your last thought; and the 
sign of the cross your last action, before you compose 
yourself to sleep, as it ought to have been the first thing 
you did, when you awoke in the morning ? 

Particular examination on the Mass. 

Have you heard Mass as often as you might possi¬ 
bly have done, and always from a pure and relis^ious 
motive ? 

Have you not heard it through habit, and because 
others did so, with whom you lived, or in whose com¬ 
pany you happened to be ? 

For the sake of pleasing some persons, and obtaining 
the good opinion of others ? 

Through hypocrisy, human respect, or interest ? 

Has it been to worship God, and adore all his divine 
perfections, tvliich cannot be worthily adored, but by 
the holy victim that is offered on our altars ? 

To acknowledge the divine goodness of God towards 
you, and give him thanks for all the blessings which he 
bestows daily upon all his creatures ? 

To appease his wrath, satisfy his justice, and atone 
for our sins, through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ ? 

To beg of God some particular grace and favor, eith¬ 
er for yourself or others, knowing that there is none, 
though ever so great, but can be obtained through 
Christ, who offers himself to his Father, in this sacri¬ 
fice, for all the wants of his church ? 

During Mass, have you manifested by your external 


192 


THE PRACTICE OF 


deportment, a high sense of religion, a. profound humili¬ 
ty, and a lively faith of the presence of God ? 

Have you cherished in your heart the sentiments of 
piety and religion, which are becoming during the cel¬ 
ebration of these holy mysteries—whilst “the Lamb,who 
taketh away the sins of the world,” is laid out upon the 
altar, for the living and the dead ? 

Have you been penetrated with a deep sense of your 
unworthiness, and sorrow for your sins ? with submis¬ 
sion to the will of God, confidence in his mercy, grati¬ 
tude for his blessings, and love for his goodness ? 

Particular examination on Confession. 

Do you consider confession, not only as necessary to 
obtain the pardon of those sins, by which we lose the 
grace of God, but also as a most- efficacious means to 
preserve and increase it ; to acquire the knowledge of 
3 "ourself; to foresee and guard against the occasions of 
sin, to which you may be exposed; to prevent your im¬ 
perfections from growing into inveterate, and perhaps 
incurable habits ? 

Have you looked upon frequent confession as being, 
in the ordinary course of divine providence, an indispen¬ 
sable means to arrive at Christian perfection } 

Have you, therefore, had recourse to it, not only 
whenever you had just cause to suppose yourself guilty 
of mortal sin — not neglecting it, even then, through 
fear, shame, or perhaps worse motives — but, as often 
as the particular wants of your soul required it, ac¬ 
cording to the advice of a prudent and enlightened di¬ 
rector } 

Have you not shared in the error of those who ne¬ 
glect going to confession, when they are in trouble, or 
find themselves exposed to peculiar, though unavoida¬ 
ble temptations—not being willing to understand that 
you were, under such circumstances, in greater need of 
this means of salvation, and, perhaps, strictly bound to 
have recourse to it } 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


193 


When you have been to confession, has your ex¬ 
amination of conscience been diligent and strict ^ 

Your contrition, interior, supernatural, supreme, and 
universal } 

The accusation of your sins, entire, plain, undisguis¬ 
ed, prudent, and modest.^ 

Have you performed your penance, at the time, and 
in the manner, prescribed by your confessor ? 

* Particular examination on Holy Communion. 

1. Have you a great desire to communicate often, and 
is this desire regulated by the advice of a prudent and 
pious director.^ 

Does this desire cause you to lead a life of inno¬ 
cence and piety ? or, to use the words of St. Austin, 
“do you live so as to deserve to communicate dai¬ 
ly ?” 

2. Are you led to the sacred table, by a pure and ho¬ 
ly intention ? 

Do you communicate, to comply with the desire 
which our Lord has to give himself to you ? 

To establish his reign in your heart, and make 
him master of your affections ? 

To obtain an increase of sanctifying grace which may 
enable you to make daily progress in Christian per¬ 
fection, and persevere in God’s service and love, to the 
end of your life ? 

To obtain the particular graces and favors, you stand 
in need of, according to the peculiar wants of your soul, 
and the circumstances in which you may happen to be 
placed—such as: 

Patience, in your troubles and afflictions.^ 

Meekness, forbearance, and charity ? 

The spirit of prayer, the love of retirement and 
solitude ? 

The grace to shun pride, vanity, idle curiosity, and 
17 


194 


THE PRACTICE OF 


other particular faults or imperfections, to which you 
may be naturally prone ? 

3. In your preparation before communion, and dur¬ 
ing your thanksgiving, have you performed the acts of 
faith, humility, adoration, love, &c. which are generally 
laid down in all approved prayer-books ? 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


195 


CHAPTER VlII. 


On CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD. 


« Not aS I will, but as thou wilt.’’* — The Son of 
God, as the holy Fathers rennark, came down from hea¬ 
ven, and put on human nature for two reasons ; to 
redeem us by his blood, and to teach us the way to 
bliss by his doctrine, and by his example. If he was 
not truly God, says St. Leo, he could have brought no 
remedy, to our evils, and if he was not truly man, 
he could have shown no example for our imitation. 
But being God and man, at the same time, he has done 
both — He came, “ that we might have life, and 
have it more abundantlyf he came “to instruct 
us, that renouncing impiety, and worldly desires, we 
should live soberly, and justly, and piously in this 
world” I — “ He left us an example, that we should 
follow his steps.” § 

* JVIat. xxvi. 39, f John, x. 10. J Tit. ii. 12. § 1 Pet. ii, 21 . 




196 


THE PRACTICE OF 


Now among many other instructions, which our Lord 
Jesus Christ has given us, one of the principal and 
most important is, that we should have an entire con¬ 
formity to the will of God. This he taught in the 
excellent form of prayer which he gave to his apos¬ 
tles — “ Thy will be done on earth, as it is in hea¬ 
ven * this he taught by his own example: “I came 
down from heaven,” he says, “ not to do my own 
will, but the will of him that sent me.” f Thus, 
notwithstanding the horror, which, as man, he expe¬ 
rienced at the approach of his passion, he remained 
perfectly resigned to the will of his heavenly Fa¬ 
ther: “ Yet,” he exclaimed, “not my will, but thine 
be done.” J 


S E C T, ; 

Two principles concerning conformity to the will of 
God. 


To treat the subject of conformity to the will of 
God thoroughly, and establish its practice upon a 
solid foundation, we must lay down two incontesta¬ 
ble principles. 

The first principle is, that our advancement and 
perfection consist in this conformity, and that the great¬ 
er it is, the greater also will be our perfection. Be¬ 
cause, the love of God being unquestionably the most 
perfect of all virtues, the more we love God, the more 

* Matt, vb 10. j" John, vi. 38. J Luke, 43. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


197 


perfect vve are; but an entire ‘conformity to the will 
of God is evidently the most perfect effect of this love; 
therefore, the more perfect the conformity of our will 
to that of God, the more perfect our love, and our per¬ 
fection. Moreover, it is certain that there is nothing 
better or more perfect than the will of God: conse¬ 
quently, we shall become better and more perfect, in 
proportion as our will will be more conformable to the 
will of God. 

The second principle we wish to lay down is, that 
— sin excepted, of which God can neither be the cause 
nor the author — nothing can happen in this world, 
but by the order and will of God — “ Good things 
and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from 
God.” * “ The eyes of the Lord in every place be¬ 

hold the good and the evil.” f His providence ex¬ 
tends to, and directs all things — his wisdom “ reach- 
eth from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things 
sweetly.”! “He changeth times and ages; taketh aw'ay 
kingdoms and establisheth them.” || “Two sparrows 
are sold for a farthing, and not one of them falls to 
the ground, without your father,” says our Lord ; 
“ but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”§ 
Not a leaf moves upon a tree, hut by his will. ('hance 
and fortune are words by which men express their ig¬ 
norance of the cause of occurrences for which they 
cannot account; but with regard to God, nothing is 
done by chance: “All things are naked, and open to 
his eyes.” ^ “ Lots are cast into i-iie lap ; but they 

are disposed of by the Lord.”** 

From these principles it follows that our duty and 
perfection consist in submitting to the dispensations 
of Providence, not, as inanimate creatures do, by ne¬ 
cessity, but by a free consent of our will. We must 
not look upon any thing as happening by chance, 

•Eccl. xi. 14. fProv. xv-S. J Wisd. viii 1. ||Dan. ii. 21. 

S Matt. X. 29. 30. ITHeb. iv. 13. *• Prov. xvi. 33. 

17 * 


198 


THE PRACTICE Oi* 


nor because such a on^ had a hand in it; but we 
should see in all things the fulfilment of the will of 
God, who, by means of secondary causes, regulates and 
directs human events. Thus when Job heard the mis¬ 
fortunes that had befallen him, he exclaimed : the 
Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath 
pleased the Lord, so it is done; blessed be the name 
of the Lord.”* He does not say, remarks St. Aus¬ 
tin, ‘‘ the Lord gave and Satan hath taken away 
but, knowing that the evil spirit can do us no harm, 
without God’s permission, he refers all to him. 


SECT. II. 


The advantages ice derive from a perfect conformit]^ 
to the will of God. 


The habit of conformity to the will of God pro¬ 
duces that perfect and entire resignation, which the 
saints consider as the source and necessary founda¬ 
tion of the peace of the soul. For, by this holy re¬ 
signation, man places himself in the hands of God, 
even as a piece of clay in the hands of the potter: 
he leaves it to Divine Providence to do with him 
what it thinks fit; he has no will of his own, and views 
the will and glory of God in all things. In a word, 
all that he wishes is, that the will of God should 
be done with regard to him. This conformity is so 
pleasing to God, that, on this account, David de- 


•Job i.21. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


199 


served to be called “ a man according to his own 
heart” — have found David, a man according to 
my own heart, who shall do all my wills.”* “ Shall 
not my soul be subject to God .?”f exclaims this ho¬ 
ly king ; “ Be thou, O my soul! subject to God.”J 
“ My heart is ready, O God! my heart is ready.”§ 

This entire resignation to the will of God is the 
best means of practising that mortification and self- 
denial which are so essential in a Christian, and, in 
fact, it presupposes them; for we cannot expect to 
attain a perfect conformity to the divine will, unless 
we gain an entire victory over all our passions. 
Whence it follows that this conformity to the will 
of God is the most acceptable sacrifice that we can 
offer to him. For, in other acts of mortification we 
make the sacrifice of one thing only, of our pride, 
for instance, our sensuality, or some other particu¬ 
lar passion; but, by perfect conformity to the will 
of God, we offer ourselves entirely as a holocaust, 
that the Almighty may deal with us as he pleases. 
This is properly renouncing ourselves, dying to our¬ 
selves, and living to God and for God. 

An entire conformity to the will of God is the 
surest, and, in reality, the only means to possess that 
“ justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,”|| which 
establish the kingdom of God in our souls, and con¬ 
stitute our happiness in this life. For as there is no 
change or vicissitude in heaven, and the saints enjoy 
undisturbed beatitude, in the constant fruition of God; 
so, those who have attained a perfect conformity to 
the divine will, never suffer themselves to be dis¬ 
turbed, or in the least disquieted, by the various 
occurrences and events of this life. They will what 
God wdlls, and as he wills it; therefore, do they re¬ 
joice when the will of God is done, whatever may 

♦ 1 Kings, xiii. 14. Acts, xiii. 22. f Ps. Ixi. 2. J P*. Ixi.6. 

§ Ps. Ivi. 8. If Rom. xiv. IT. 


200 


THE PRACTICE OP 


be the effect; — whether success or disappointment, 
health or sickness, life or death. Then it is, that 
these words of the wise man are truly verified: 
“ Whatsoever shall befall the just man, it shall not 
make him sad* or, as St. Paul speaks, that “ to 
them that love God, all things work together unto 
good.” t This holy conformity is the foundation of 
that ‘‘ Peace of God,” which the same Apostle 
wished to the Philippians, “ which surpasseth all 
understanding, and keeps our hearts and minds in 
Christ Jesus.” J And in truth, what could disturb 
our peace of mind, and depress our heart, when we 
receive all things from one, “ who loveth our souls ;”§ 
whose “ thoughts” towards us are “ thoughts of peace, 
and not of affliction *,” || whose “judgments,” though 
“ incomprehensible,” ^ “ are equity ;” ** who is “just 
in all his ways, and holy in all his works?” ft 
What could make us unliappy, when we place our 
happiness in God — when the accomplishment of his 
holy will is the sole object of all our wishes and 
desires ? 

But if we make our happiness depend upon any 
of the perishable enjoyments of this life, it must 
needs be subject to their vicissitudes and instabili¬ 
ty. And, moreover, were these to last as long 
as we could wish, our hearts, made for God, shall 
never be fully satisfied, as St. Austin experienced 
for himself, until they rest in him. “ A covetous 
man shall not be satisfied with money,” says Ec¬ 
clesiastes — The same must be said of all the goods 
of this world. 

When St. Francis of Borgia arrived at Grenada 
w'ith the corpse of the empress Isabella, the coffin 
in which it was enclosed had to be opened, and the 

• Prov. xii. 21. f Rom. viii. 28. j Phil, iv- 7. § VVisd. xi. 27. 

y Jerem. xxix. 11. H Rom. xi. 33. **Ps. cxviii. 16. 

It Ps. cxliv. 17. Eccl. V. 9. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


201 


young Duke was so struck at the awful change 
which he saw in the features of this once admired 
princess, that he made a firm resolution, at that ve¬ 
ry moment, to devote himself entirely to the ser¬ 
vice of God : I promise, O l.ord! he said within 
himself, never to serve a master who is subject to 
death. Imitate his example: let not your affections 
be riveted upon any thing that may be taken away 
from you against your will. Unless you do so, you 
cannot expect ever to enjoy true peace and content 
of mind. 

Hence it follows, that the sole consideration of 
our own interest should induce us to seek for hap¬ 
piness in God. I know, says St. Austin, that eve¬ 
ry one wishes to be happy; but, unfortunately, all 
do not look for happiness where it is to be found. 
The covetous, the ambitious, the proud, the sensual, 
seek happiness; but they seek it not, where they 
ought, and, of course they never find it. 

Let us not, then, lose our time and weary our¬ 
selves in the pursuit of phantoms, which elude our 
grasp. Let us love, and seek that happiness, which 
alone is perfect and lasting, and rest assured that All 
is vanity,” in this world, except to love God — to serve 
him, and none but him. 


SECT. III. 

The same subject continued. 

St. Austin, writing upon these words of our Sa¬ 
viour, “ Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my 
name, that will I do,” * says that we ought not to 


♦John, xiv. 13. 



202 


THE PRACTICE OF 


make our peace and tranquility of mind consist in 
doing our own will, and obtaining what we wish *, 
for this is not generally what is best for us, and 
may often prove injurious and detrimental; but that 
we should endeavour to find our satisfaction in what 
God directs and ordains. When our natural disposi¬ 
tion would hinder us from good and incline us to 
evil, we should pray to God, not that he would 
grant us what is evil, but that we may love what 
is good. In other words, if we find less satisfaction 
in the fulfilment of the will of God, than in doing 
our own, we ought to beg of God, not that ours be 
done, but that we should resign ourselves, with 
pleasure, to his own. If then, by the temptation of 
the devil, or your own corrupt nature, you should 
lose that relish for virtue and desire of perfection, 
which you once experienced; if, like a sick person, 
you should be apt to desire what would be hurt- 
lul to you, you must take care not to yield to the 

temptation ; but earnestly beg of God to change 

your disposition, and “ to teach you to do his 
will,” with alacrity and joy. 

Those who enter into a religious order are gene¬ 
rally told that they must never think of doing their 
own will, but be guided, in all things, by the will 
of their superiors. Yet, St. Dorotheus, speaking on 
this subject, says: Be not uneasy about this — you 
may if you choose always do your own will. I 

shall show you how this can be done in perfect 

conformity to the rules of religious obedience: have 
no other will than that of your superior; for then, 
in doing his will, you will do your own. By this 
means, you will sleep as long as you please ; be¬ 
cause you will wish to sleep no longer than the rule 
permits: you will eat what you please ; because you 
will not wish to eat but what is before you: in a 
word, you will always do what you will ; because you 
will never will, but what obedience directs. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


203 


The application of this advice to a Christian, who 
wishes to serve God in the world, is obvious and 
easy. For he too has a superior to obey, and a 
rule to observe — God is that superior, the divine 
will is to be the rule of his conduct. Let him, 
therefore, conform his own will to that of God, have 
no other will than the will of God, and he will do 
his own will in all things; for the will of God is al¬ 
ways done: “ Whatsoever the Lord pleased, he hath 
done,” says the psalmist, “ in heaven, in earth, in 
the sea, and in all the deeps.” * How happy we 
should be if such was the habitual disposition of 
our heart! Then, we should take every thing that 
happens, as though we had wished it ; and, in truth, 
we must have wished it to happen, if we are per¬ 
suaded that nothing happens, but by the order of 
divine providence. 

Another great advantage of perfect conformity to 
the divine will, is, that it is one of the best dis¬ 
positions, whereby we may obtain the favors and 
blessings of Almighty God. Thus, when he wished 
St. Paul “ to carry his name before the gentiles, 
and kings, and the children of Israel,” f the first 
sentiment, with whidi he inspired him, was an ardent 
desire to do his will: “ And he,” writes St. Luke, 
“ trembling and astonished, said. Lord! what wilt 
thou have me to do J The reason why this to¬ 
tal resignation to the will of God is so efficacious 
a means to obtain his graces and protection, is, be¬ 
cause it at once removes the greatest obstacle to 
heavenly communications, namely, the attachment to 
our own will, and leaves us, entirely, to the care, 
and under the absolute direction of divine provi¬ 
dence. St. Bernard, speaking on the words of St. 
Paul, which I have just quoted, “ Lord ! what will 
you have me to do i^” exclaims : Oh short, but com- 


Ps. cxzziv. 6. t Acts, ix. 15. J ib. ix. 6. 


204 


THE PRACTICE OF 


prehensive prayer! how fervent! how efficacious, and 
perfect! If then, you wish to have a sure and ea¬ 
sy means to acquire perfection — here it is: Say 
with that apostle, “ Lord ! what will you have me 
to do ?” and with the prophet, “ My heart is rea¬ 
dy, O God ! my heart is ready.” * Let these words 
always be in your mouth, have them always in 
your heart; and the more familiar the sentiment they 
convey becomes to you, the greater will be your 
progress towards perfection. 

The habit of conformity to the will of God fur¬ 
nishes us with a ready and most proper remedy 
against a sort of temptation, by which the most pi¬ 
ous are sometimes molested. The enemy of our souls 
endeavours to disturb the peace of their minds, by 
presenting to their imagination various temptations, to 
which they possibly might be exposed, and wishing 
them to answer what they would do, if they were 
actually to take place. Thus: Were such a person 
(perhaps one of your best friends) to speak against 
you, or calumniate you — what would you say }— how 
would you behave yourself under such, or such cir¬ 
cumstances The general rule given to persons, who 
are subject to this kind of temptation, is, that they 
are not to answer tliese questions, and it is cer¬ 
tainly a good rule, particularly for those who are 
troubled with scruples; because if they once begin 
to reply and argue, the same temptation will pre¬ 
sent itself under a variety of forms, and they will 
find it hardly possible to extricate themselves from 
the snares laid for them. But, proper as this si¬ 
lence may be to defeat our enemy, and arrest the 
progress of the temptation, yet it may still leave us 
void of those sentiments of confidence and piety, which 
alone can satisfy the mind and warm the heart — 
conformity to the divine will, will produce these hap- 


• Ps. Ivi. 8. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


205 


py effects — Say to yourself on these trying occa¬ 
sions : “ My sanctification is the will of God “ he 
will not suffer me to be tempted above that which 
I am ablest to stand, with the help of his grace. 
I place all my confidence in him — if such misfor¬ 
tunes or temptations were ever to befall me, 1 should 
endeavour to use every exertion in my power, not 
to offend him; and 1 firmly hope, that he would 
give me strength to do his ‘‘ good, acceptable, and 
perfect will.”J 

An entire conformity to the divine will has often 
been the peculiar and favourite virtue of many, whom 
God raised to great sanctity. Caesarius relates that 
a holy religious, who had received the gift of mir¬ 
acles, being asked by his superior what could have 
induced Almighty God to bestow this grace upon 
him, answered — Indeed, Father! I cannot tell; 1 nei¬ 
ther fast, nor pray, nor work, more than my bre¬ 
thren ; all I can say is, that, whatever may happen 
either to them or to me, I am never disturbed, and 
that in all the occurrences of this life, I preserve 
the same peace, and tranquillity of mind — But were 
you not somewhat perplexed, the other day, replied 
the Abbot, when one of our enemies set fire to our 
barn, and burnt it down.? —- Not at all, answered the 
holy man; for I have long since placed all things 
into the hands of God ; so that whatever may hap¬ 
pen, either painful or pleasing, I receive all, with 
equal gratitude and thanks, as coming from him. 
This candid explanation, given by the good Reli¬ 
gious, satisfied the Abbot, and he ascribed the ex¬ 
traordinary favors bestowed upon him, to his holy 
resignation, and perfect conformity to the will of 
God, 


* 1 Thes. iv. 3. f 1 Cor. x. IS. X Rom. xii. 2. 


18 


206 


THE PRACTICE OP 


§ECT. IV. 

The conformity and confidence, which the considera- 
tion of God^s providence should produce. 


We have already remarked that nothing can 
happen to us, which has not passed through the 
hands of God, and undergone the scrutiny of his 
wisdom and providence. To the proofs, which were 
then adduced, I shall add a few more, from holy 
scripture. 

When the hour had come that the Son of Man 
was to be delivered into the hands of sinners, and 
Jesus commanded Peter “ to put up his sword into 
the scabbard,” he told him: “ The chalice which my 
Father hath given me, shall I not drink it * He 
did not say, the chalice prepared for me by Ju¬ 
das, the Scribes, or the Pharisees but, ‘‘ the cha¬ 
lice, which my Father hath given me.” For he 
knew, that they only executed the will of heaven; 
that, what they did then, through hatred and malice, 
had been ordained, from all eternity, by tlie good¬ 
ness and v/isdom of his Father, for the redemption 
of man. 

In like manner, when Pilate told our Lord that 
he had power to crucify or to release him, he answer¬ 
ed : “ Thou shouldst not have any power against 
me, unless it were given thee from above ;” f that 
is to say, as the saints explain it, if Divine Provi¬ 
dence had not ordained it so. 


* John, xviii. 11. 


t ib. xix. 11. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 207 

# 

St. Peter and St. John having related to the oth¬ 
er apostles the treatment they had met with from 
the priests and ancients, they, with one accord, ex¬ 
claimed : “ Why have the gentiles raged, and the 
people devised vain things } The kings of the earth 
stood up, and the princes assembled together against 
the Lord, and against his Christ.” And, applying 
the text to Christ, they added: “ For there were tru¬ 
ly assembled in this city against thy holy Son Je¬ 
sus, whom thou hast anointed, Herod, and Pontius 
Pilate, with the gentiles, and thje people of Israel, to 
do what thy hand and thy counsel decreed to be 
done.”* Thus, according to these inspired interpret¬ 
ers of the oracles of the prophets, the great and 
mighty ones of this earth met, and united their ef¬ 
forts, to carry into execution what had been decreed 
by Divine Providence — Their power could go no 
farther. 

The ancient patriarchs were so fully persuaded of 
the intervention of Providence in all the occurrences 
of life, that they ascribed all things to its will, of 
whatever nature they might be, and from whatever 
visible and external cause they might appear to pro¬ 
ceed. Thus, when the sons of Jacob found the mo¬ 
ney, which Joseph had caused to be put back into 
their sacks, they did not attempt to account for it by 
various conjectures — they might have looked upon 
it as the effect of a mistake, as an act of charity, 
or a snare laid for them — no ; they referred it all 
to the will of God: “ What is this,” they said to 
one another, “ that God hath done unto us } ” f 
Again, when Joseph made himself known to his bro¬ 
thers, he referred to the dispensation of Providence 
all that had happened to him, through their means 
and agency: “Be not afraid,” he said to them, “ for 
God sent me before you into Egypt for your pre- 

* Acts, iv. 25—28. 't Gen. xlii. 28. 


♦ 


208 


THE PRACTICE OF 


servation: he sent me before, that you may be pre¬ 
served upon the earth, and may have food to live. 
Not by your counsel was I sent hither, but by the 
will of God.”* And again, when, after the death 
of their father, his brothers feared lest he might take 
revei'ige upon them, this holy patriarch assured them 
of their pardon in these remarkable words: “ Fear 
not: can we resist the will of God? You thought 
evil against me ; but God turned it into good, that 
he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might 
save many people.”! 

In a word, the combined efforts of men and the 
infernal spirits, can do us no harm, without the per¬ 
mission of God Almighty, and we must rest assur¬ 
ed, that what may possibly take place, with this per¬ 
mission, is intended for our good. In Hell, the 
damned suffer, and from their sufferings, they can de¬ 
rive no good to themselves — they are unavailable, 
and eternal. But on this earth, both sinners and 
the just, meet with crosses and afflictions, that they 
may, thereby, be purified, perfected, and, ultimately, 
rewarded. ‘‘ Let us believe that these scourges of 
the Lord, with which we are chastised,” said Judith 
to the inhabitants of Bethulia, besieged by Holo- 
fernes, “ have happened for our amendment, and 
not for our destruction.”! “ According to the multi¬ 
tude of my sorrows,” exclaimed holy David, “ thy 
comforts have given joy to my soul.”|| “Our pre¬ 
sent tribulation, which is momentary and light,” 
writes St. Paul to the Corinthians, “ worketh for 
us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of 
glory.” § 

Nor is it sufficient to have a speculative know¬ 
ledge of this universal intervention of Divine Provi¬ 
dence in all that happens, we ought, moreover, in 

* Gen. xk. 6. 7. 8. f ib. 1. 19. 20. J Judith, viii. 27, 

|{ Ps. ciii. 19. § 2 Cor. iv, 17, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


209 


order to derive greater advantage from this truth, to 
believe it practically, so that it may produce in us 
a lively sense of resignation, and perfect conformity 
to the will of God. Thus, in the most trying oc¬ 
currences, we should say to ourselves: It is God who 
sends me this affliction; it is for his sake and for 
the love of him I must bear it; he knows best what 
is good for me; through this tribulation, I must ar¬ 
rive at perfection on this earth, and olDtain eternal 
bliss in heaven. 

Confidence in divine providence is one of the 
greatest blessings that we derive from faith, which 
teaches us, that nothing can happen, but by the will 
of a good and loving God. It soothes our griefs, 
alleviates our sorrows, and causes us to rejoice in 
the midst of tribulations — It banishes fear: “ O 
Lord !” says the psalmist; “ thou hast crowned us 
with the shield of thy good will.” * And in fact, 
kind Providence surrounds, protects, and guards us 
on all sides : “ The Lord hath liidden me in his ta¬ 
bernacle,” says the same holy king; ‘‘ in the 

day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret 
place of his tabernacle.” f “ My soul trusteth in 
thee, and in the shadow of thy wings will I hope.”J 
“ The children of men shall put their trust under the 
covert of thy wings.” § “ Thou shalt hide them in 

the secret of thy face.” |j The anxious care of God’s 
loving Providence is beautifully described by Mo¬ 
ses, in his celebrated canticle, “/fear, O ye Hea¬ 
vens ! the things that I speak, 4"^.” — “ The works 
of God are perfect,” he says, “ all his ways are 
judgment: he is faithful, he is just, and right — 
When the Most High divided the nations, when he 
separated the sons of Adam, he appointed the bounds of 
people according to the number of the children of 

• Pfi. T. 13. t ib. xx7i. 5. X ib. Ivi. 2. § ib. ZZXT. 8. 

i| ib. XXX. 21. 


18* 


210 


THE PRACTICE OP 


Israel. But the Lord’s portion is his people; Ja¬ 
cob the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a 
desert land, in a place of horror — he led him about, 
— he kept him as the apple of his eye. As the ea¬ 
gle, enticing her young to fly, and hovering over 
them, he spread his wings, and hath taken him, and 
carried him on his shoulders.” * 

What comfort in our afflictions should we not de¬ 
rive from this view of God’s providence ! If a man, 
wealthy, highly respected, and who possessed great 
power and influence in his country, had children and 
loved them dearly, would they not look to him, 
and rely upon his kindness and affection in their 
Wyants and difficulties } With how much more rea¬ 
son should we cast our care upon our heavenly Fa¬ 
ther, whose love for us is as infinite, as his pow¬ 
er, and his riches ! The love, wdiich he has for 
us, in his Son, will never suffer him to cease to do 
good to us, for whose sakes he delivered this be¬ 
loved Son to the cruel death of the Cross. It is the 
reflection of St. Paul : “ He that spared not even his 
ow'n Son,” he says, “ but delivered him up for us 
all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all 
things t 

But, if all mankind, even the greatest sinners, 
are to have this confidence in God, tliat, in all the 
dispensations of his providence, he will be just, and 
kind, and merciful to them ; how great and unbound¬ 
ed should not be the confidence of those, who have 
devoted themselves, in a special manner, to his ser¬ 
vice — who shun the dangerous pleasures and sinful en¬ 
joyments of the w^orld — and whose only wish is, to 
please and love him, more and more, whom they have 
chosen as “their portion forever?” It was this con¬ 
fidence that strengthened the saints among the many 


* Deut. xxxii. 4. 8. 9. 10. 11. 


f Rora. viii. 32. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


211 


dangers, temptations, and persecutions, to which they 
were often exposed : notliing could disturb the peace 
and tranquillity of their mind; because they knew that 
nothing happened but with God’s permission, and 
for their own good. During one of St. Ignatius’ 
voyages to Rome, a violent tempest arose, the mast 
of the vessel in which he sailed was carried away, 
and the tackling rent: terror and dismay seized all 
who were on board — but he experienced no. fear ; 
for he knew that “ the winds and the sea obey” 
the Lord, in whom he confided. Such is the confi¬ 
dence and resignation which we should aspire to, 
and endeavour to obtain by fervent prayers, and 
frequent meditations on the goodness and mercy of 
God. 


SECT. V. 


Three degrees of conformity to the will of God, with 
regard to sufferings. 


The masters of a spiritual life distinguish three 
degrees in the virtue of conformity to the divine 
will. Those who possess the first degree, would 
rather endure afflictions and misfortunes, than avoid 
them, by the commission of sin ; although they shun 
them as much as possible, whenever they can do 
so without a sin. This degree is of strict obliga¬ 
tion ; and yet, those persons, though sensibly afflicted 
at the evils which they suffer, may still be said 
to be resigned to the will of God. The second de- 



212 


THE PRACTICE OP 


gree does not, it is true, prompt us to desire af¬ 
flictions, but it enables us to bear them with cheer¬ 
fulness, whenever they come, under the convic¬ 
tion, that they befal us, by the permission of God, 
and for our own good. This degree is above the 
first, inasmuch as it causes us to suffer, not only 
with patience, for fear of offending God; but also 
with pleasure, for his sake. The third and most 
perfect degree of conformity, makes us desire afflic¬ 
tions before they come, and rejoice when they are 
sent to us, as being the manifestation of the divine 
will towards us. The Apostles had arrived at this 
perfect degree of conformity, when, after having been 
cast into prison and scourged by the Jews, “■ they 
went from the presence of the council rejoicing, that 
they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for 
the name of Jesus.” * So had St. Paul, when he 
wrote to the Corinthians, “ I am filled with com¬ 
fort, I exceedingly abound with joy, in all our tribula¬ 
tion.” t Nor was this virtue peculiar to Apostolic¬ 
al men: it shone forth in the primitive Christians: 
“ you received with joy the plundering of/ your 
goods,” wrote St. Paul to the Hebrews, lately con¬ 
verted to the Faith, “ knowing that you have a bet¬ 
ter and permanent substance.” J And St. James ex¬ 
horts all the faithful to this perfection: “ My bre¬ 
thren,” he says, “ count it all joy, when you shall 
fall into divers temptations,” § that is, into divers 
trials and afflictions,” as the context plainly shows. 
It is a common thing, says Father Avila, to thank 
God for favors and blessings, but it is peculiar to 
the just, to be grateful for afflictions and misfortunes. 
If our minds be strongly bent upon the fulfilment of 
God’s holy will, says St. Gregory, the most bitter 
afflictions become sweet and pleasant to us. 

* Acts, V. 41. f 2 Cor. vii. 4. J Heb. x. 34, ^ James, i. 2. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTiON. 

Some persons, wliilst they admit the principle, 
that we ought to suffer with patience, at least, and 
that perfection requires us to suffer with joy, what 
God ordains, are not, however, willing to apply it, 
as they should, to all particular cases, in which 
the will of providence is equally discernible. They 
seem to wish to conform to the will of God, on 
condition that it shall be such as they could desire 
it to be. Thus, they wish to be good, and lead a 
holy life; but they try to persuade themselves that 
they are not able to do so, under the circumstances 
in which they find themselves, and wait until God 
grants them more favorable opportunities. That is 
to say, they wait for a change in the dispensations 
of Providence, that they may, when they are more 
conformable to their wishes, comply with them en¬ 
tirely. Such persons are willing to suffer, and do 
penance; but they would choose their sufferings. 
They would fast, for instance, but they will not practice 
humility; they could bear with sickness and poverty, 
but they cannot put up with an angry word, or a w'ant 
of attention, which hurts their feelings. In short, 
they would do the will of God, if it were to agree 
with their own. 

This disposition is far from the conformity -of 
which we speak : it is a dangerous illusion, a pal¬ 
pable deception, by which our will is substituted in 
the. place of the will of God, and our caprice in 
the place of the decrees of unerring wisdom. The 
true servants of God, says St. Austin, are not anx¬ 
ious that he should command them, what they wish, 
but that they should wish, what he commands. Do 
not pray, says Abbot Nilus, that what thou wishest 
may take place; but pray, as thou hast been taught, 
that the will of God should be done with regard to 
thee. 


214 


THE PRACTICE OE 


It does not belong to us to choose, what, and 
when, we should suffer: the choice must be left to 
God. You say —I know that I ought to suffer with 
patience, and, were my troubles and afflictions of a 
different nature, I would bear with them ; but such 
as they are, and under the present circumstances, I 
cannot endure them. Why not? I ask — Does God, 
who commands not things impossible, as St. Austin 
speaks, require you to put up with more than you 
are able to stand ? Does he — contrary to the testimo¬ 
ny of St. Paul, who says he ‘‘ will not” — suffer you 
to be tempted above your strength? Moreover, were 
those things, which you would be willing to bear, 
left to your own choice, they could not be properly 
called sufferings. Had you truly a sincere desire 
to please God, you should wish to folloAV the path 
he points out, and not the road, which you might 
choose for yourself. Say what you will — your 
conformity to the will of God can never be such 
as it ought to be — until you resign yourself entirely 
into his hands, that he may deal with you as he 
pleases; do with you, what he pleases, at the time 
and in the manner, be pleases'—until, at the sight 
of present evils or the apprehension of future mis¬ 
fortunes, you say with the prophet: “ I have put 
my trust in thee, O Lord! — thou art my God ; my 
lots are in thy hands; * or with Heli, when Samuel 
foretold him the calamities which were soon to fall 
on him and his family : “ It is the Lord; let him do 
what is good in his sight.” f 


* Ps. XXX. 15. 


t 1 Kings, iii, 18. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


215 


SECT. VI. 

Conformity to the icill of Godj as regards our situ¬ 
ation in life^ and vocation. 


Every one should be contented with that situa¬ 
tion in life in which Divine Providence has placed 
him, without repining at its disposition. To endea¬ 
vour by lawful means to better our situation, when 
it can be accomplished, without exposing ourselves to 
sin, or any detriment to our piety, is not, generally 
speaking, contrary to the conformity wx are bound 
to have to the will of God ; but, even then, there is 
an anxiety and solicitude, incompatible with this vir¬ 
tue, and at variance with the precept qf pur Lord: 
“ Be not solicitous for to-morrow, for the morrow 
‘will be solicitous for itself.”* St. Austin, com¬ 
menting on this text of the Psalms, “ Incline my 
heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness,” f 
says that covetousness (meaning thereby all kinds of 
inordinate desires) is tlie source of all our evils. 
What caused our first parents to fall from the state 
of innocence and happiness, in which they had been 
created, into sin and misery ? — it was the desire of 
possessing more knowledge, and greater prerogatives, 
than had been granted to them. Not satisfied with 
the exalted station he held in the mansions of bliss, 
Lucifer would ascend, and be like the Most High” 
— and “ he was brought down to hell, into the depth 
of the pit.”| 

In a word, the consideration of the will of God 
should suffice to make us live happy and contented 
in the situation in which we find ourselves unavoid- 


Mat. vi. 34. f Ps. cxviii. 36. 


J Isaias, xiv. 14. 15. 


216 


THE PRACTICE OF 


ably placed ; and, if a change were possible, advisa¬ 
ble, or necessary, this holy will should be ascer¬ 
tained, before we could proceed with confidence and 
safety. For wo to the man, who, by a capricious 
change, or a rash choice, deviates from the path 
which Divine Providence points out to him! 

God made us, as we have been taught from our 
infancy, to serve him in this life, and to possess 
him in the next. In the meantime, his all-ruling 
Providence must direct us in every circumstance of 
our mortal existence, and guide our steps in the va¬ 
rious walks of life, through which his unerring 
wisdom may choose to lead us. St. Paul, in his 
epistle to tlie Romans, remarks, that ‘‘as in one bo¬ 
dy we have many members ; but all the members 
have not the same office: so we being many, are 
one body in Christ, and each one, members one of 
another, having gifts different, according to the 
grace which is given us.” * Now, as in the hu¬ 
man body, each member is destined to its particular 
use; so, in the mystical body of Christ, every one 
of the faithful is to hold his station and employment, 
from the dispensation of Providence. It w^ould in¬ 
deed be a shocking deformity for the eyes or the 
ears to quit their natural position, with a view to 
perform the functions of the hands and feet. In like 
manner, when w^e desert the place assigned to us by 
the divine will, and intrude ourselves into situations 
to which we are not called, we disfigure the mysti¬ 
cal body of Christ, by disturbing the order and har¬ 
mony, wdiich should arise from the fitness and adap¬ 
tation of its members to the purposes that can only 
be effected by their entire dependence on Him, 
“ from whom the whole body, compacted and fitly 
joined together, by w'hat every joint supplieth, ac¬ 
cording to the operation in the measure of every 


Chap. xii. 4. 5. 6. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


217 


part, maketh increase, unto the edifying of itself in 
charity.” * 

The choice of a state of life, says Massillon, 
is the only way to salvation, that the Lord has 
prepared for us: whence it follows that the advan¬ 
tages, which it may afford us to save our souls, are 
what we should principally consider in making it: 
that is to say, among the various states of life 
which we might embrace, that particular one ought 
to determine our choice, in which, considering our 
natural disposition, our inclinations and our weak¬ 
ness, we shall find more means of salvation. Not 
that we should all go into solitary retirement — the 
silence and austerity of the cloister itself is not the 
safest profession for all men. It is not the state of 
life, hut the call of heaven, that constitutes safety. 
Thus, the sea swallowed up an unfaithful prophet, 
protected as he was by a strong ship and a skilful 
pilot, because he had embarked against the order of 
God, whilst it respected the footsteps of the chief of 
the Apostles, and bore him up, when the Lord bade 
him walk upon its waves. Every thing is dangerous 
for him, who does not follow the call of the Lord ; 
but danger itself becomes our safety, when he is our 
guide. 


•Eph. iv. 16. 


19 


218 


THE PRACTICE OP 


SECT. VII. 


Conformity to the will of God, in time of sicknesSy 
and public calamities. 

As health is a gift of God, so i§ sickness a bless¬ 
ing which he sends us — to try and improve us, to 
make us feel our weakness, and know ourselves 
— to withdraw our affections from this world, and 
its fleeting joys — to check the impetuosity of our 
passions, by prostrating the strength of our earthly 
frame — to remind us that we are here in a land 
of exile', and that heaven is our true country — to 
afford us, in fine, innumerable other opportunities to 
obtain mercy, grace, and merit, in this life, and hap¬ 
piness and glory, in the next. “ A grievous sickness 
maketh the soul sober,” says the Wise Man. * My 
son, said an ancient father of the desert to one of 
his disciples, do not grieve at your sickness, but on 
the contrary thank God for it; for it is a fire which 
scours you from rust, if you are iron ; and purifies you, 
if you are gold. Since I have known the grace of 
Jesus my Lord, said St. Clara during her last and 
protracted illness, I found nothing bitter in sickness, 
nothing painful in sufferings, nothing difficult in the prac¬ 
tice of penance. 

But here some one might be apt to say : I would not 
care about being sick, if it were not that my business 
suffers, and my family are in need of my labor and 
daily exertions ; another will complain that he can¬ 
not attend to the duties of his profession, and even to 


• Eccl. xxxi. 2. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


219 


the works of mercy and charity which he performs, 
with great consolation to himself and benefit to his 
fellow-beings, when he is in good health ; a third 
may allege some other inconvenience arising from his 
sickness, as the cause of his anxiety and uneasiness. 
St. Austin answers all these subterfuges of self-love, 
and self-will, by laying down this incontestable prin¬ 
ciple: It is more just, he says, that we follow the 
will of God, than he ours: no man can regulate his 
actions by a better rule than he, who is more rea¬ 
dy not to do what God forbids him to undertake, 
than anxious to do what he himself undertakes to 
accomplish. Father Avila writing to a sick person, 
says: Do not think on what you would do if you 
enjoyed good health; but consider how much you 
will please God, if you only patiently bear your ill¬ 
ness, and all its necessary consequences. If you tru- 
Ij seek to do the will of God, as I believe you do, 
what difference does it make, whether you be sick 
or well, since thi^ divine will is equally accomplish¬ 
ed in both cases ? 

Moreover, according to the principles laid down in 
this chapter, we are bound to conform to the will of 
God, such as it actually is, and not such as we could 
wish it to be: now, the illness of which we complain, 
on account of the trying circumstances with which it 
is attended, is precisely the effect of the will of God, 
and any other sickness, or the same, under different cir¬ 
cumstances, would be the choice of our own; therefore, 
perfect conformity requires that we should bear it, with 
patience and resignation. 

St. Chrysostom is of opinion that Job merited more 
by the perfect submission with which he bore his mis¬ 
fortunes and sufferings, than by all the good works 
which he performed, when he enjoyed health and 
prosperity — for it was under the severest strokes of 
affliction he said i “ As it hath pleased the Lord, so 


220 


THE PRACTICE OF 


it is done; blessed be the name of the Lord.” * We 
too, shall acquire greater merit, and please God more, 
by our entire conformity to his will, during our sick¬ 
ness, than by all we could do, when in perfect 
health. 

St Austin, speaking of the precept of fasting dur¬ 
ing the time of Lent, remarks, that it is enough for 
those, who, on account of ill-health, are not able to 
comply with this obligation, to regret and feel truly 
sorry that they are obliged to eat, whilst the rest 
of the faithful are keeping a strict fast. 

There is more perfection, says St. Bonaventure, in 
bearing hard things and afflictions with patience, than 
in applying ourselves to good works with zeal and 
earnestness. 

These great saints understood that conformity to the 
will of God was one of the most essential of all Chris¬ 
tian virtues, and indispensably necessary in the hour 
of adversity and sufferings ; hence they so strenuous¬ 
ly recommend its practice to those who were tried in 
the crucible of afflictions, from what causes soever 
they might proceed. Nor is it merely with regard 
to ourselves and our o^vn personal sufferings, that we 
ought to be resigned to the will of God ; but we should 
preserve the same conformity to the dispensations of 
Divine Providence, in times of general calamities — 
such as war, pestilence, famine, and other public 
scourges — viewing them as a visible manifestation of 
the “ incomprehensible judgments” of God, ordained 
by his justice, and in perfect accordance with his 
mercy and love. We are then, to adore, with profound 
humility, the ‘‘ unsearchable ways” of the Almighty ru¬ 
ler of the universe, and firmly believe, that, since all 
things are governed and regulated by his infinite 
wisdom, he would not permit these calamities to take 


♦ Job, i. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 221 

place, if it were not that a greater good, than the evil 
which they cause, is to arise from them. 


SECT. VIII. 


The remembrance of our sins should make us bear 
both public calamities and personal misfortunes, with 
patience and resignation. 


It is the unanimous sentiment of the saints that 
public calamities are generally sent by Almighty God 
in punishment of public prevarications ; and this senti¬ 
ment is founded on the authority of scripture. “ Bless¬ 
ed art thou, O Lord! the God of our fathers,” ex¬ 
claimed Azarias, in the furnace, “ thou art just in all 
thou hast done to us — according to truth and judg¬ 
ment, thou hast brought all these things upon us for 
our sins. For we have sinned, and committed ini¬ 
quity, departing from thee; and we have trespassed 
in all things. And we have not hearkened to thy 
commandments; nor have we observed nor done as 
thou hadst commanded us, that it might go well 
with us. Wherefore all that thou hast brought up¬ 
on us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, 
thou hast done in true judgment.” * “I beseech those 
that shall read this book, that they be not shocked at 
these calamities,” writes the author of the second 


19 * 


•Dan. iii. 26-31. 



222 


THE PRACTICE OP 


book of Machabees ; “ but that they consider the things 
that happened, not as being for the destruction, but for 
the correction of our nation. For it is a token of 
great goodness, when sinners are not suffered to go 
on in their ways, for a long time, but are present¬ 
ly punished. For, not as with other nations (whom the 
Lord patientl}^ expecteth, that when the day of judg¬ 
ment shall come, he may punish them, in the ful¬ 
ness of their sins,) doth he also deal with us, so as 
to suffer our sins to come to their height — He ne¬ 
ver withdraweth his mercy from us; but though he 
chastiseth his people with adversity, he forsaketh 
them not.” * Innumerable other passages. show that, 
as God chastised his people and delivered them in¬ 
to the hands of their enemies, on account of their 
sins, so he, afterwards, freed them from these evils, 
when they repented, and were sincerely converted to 
him. A similar dispensation of Divine Providence is 
observable in numerous instances, relative to individuals, 
and personal sufferings. The words of t.’hrist to the 
man whom he had cured at the pond of Bethsaida, suf¬ 
fice to place this truth beyond the possibility of a doubt: 
“ Behold ! thou art made whole,” said he to him ; “ sin 
no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee.” f 
From this doctrine, it follows that one of the most 
efficacious means to induce us to be resigned to the 
will of God in afflictions, whether public or private, 
and to bear with them patiently, is, to remember our 
sins, and reflect on the punishment due to them ; for this 
consideration will naturally lead us to confess, that what 
we have to suffer is less than what we deserve. And, 
in truth, if we properly attended to the malice and enor¬ 
mity of sin, we should soon understand, to use the lan¬ 
guage of Tertullian, that. To have sinned once, is 
enough to weep eternally — instead of complaining of 


♦2 Mach. vi. 12-16. 


t John, V. 14. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


223 


our sufferings, we would acknowledge, with the peni¬ 
tent king, that the Lord “ hath not dealt with us ac¬ 
cording to our sins, nor rewarded us according to 
our iniquities.” * The true servants of God, not on¬ 
ly bear all kinds of afflictions, with patience and resig¬ 
nation, but they are sorry, when God does not punish 
them for their sins, in this world, for they fear that he 
will punish them more severely, in the next. Burn, O 
Lord! exclaimed St. Austin, cut, and spare me not, in 
this life, that thou mayest spare me in eternity. 

Can there be a more strange stupidity, than to 
feel so little concern about the evils of the soul, and 
to be so sensible to those of the body ? Should not 
our sins give us more trouble, and give us more unea¬ 
siness, than any thing we may have to suffer, to atone 
for them ? By our sins, we have deserved hell — 
we owe it to the divine mercy, that we are not, at 
this very moment, a prey to its devouring flames — 
shall we, then, think that any temporal suffering can 
be too severe a punishment for transgressions, which 
have rendered us liable to eternal torments.? No; — 
let us never lose sight of our sins, let us “ know our 
iniquity,” and we shall willingly resign ourselves to the 
will of God, when he chastises us for them. “ I 
am ready for scourges,” said the Psalmist, — would 
you know why .? — ‘‘ for I will think on my sin,” he 
immediately adds, f Again : ‘‘ Thou hast made me a 
reproach to the fool — I opened not my mouth ; because 
thou hast done it.” J Follow this example: in all 
painful occurrences, think of your sins; think of the 
will of God, and say: God has permitted it, God has 
done it — be it so: “ He is the Lord; let him do W'hat 
is good in his sight.” § 

• Ps. cii. 10. f ib. xxxvii. 18. 19. 

§ 1 Kings, iii. 18. 


I ib. xxxviii. 9. lO. 


224 


THE PRACTICE OP 


SECT. IX. 


Conformity to the will of God with regard to super¬ 
natural gifts, and spiritual consolations. 


Conformity to the will of God is not only to be 
practised with regard to the earthly goods and evils of 
this life, but it ought to extend to things spiritual and 
supernatural; such as, the gift of prayer, sensible devo¬ 
tion, the interior peace of the soul, and other blessings 
of grace, which might contribute much to our advance¬ 
ment and perfection. These supernatural gifts and spi¬ 
ritual consolations are undoubtedly advantageous and 
desirable, if we know how to make a good use of 
them ; and, of course, we should be thankful to God, 
when he bestows them upon us: but yet, to desire 
them merely on account of the sensible consolation 
which we derive from them, would be censurable, 
and the effect of self-love. Nay more, how pure so¬ 
ever our motives for desiring these supernatural bless¬ 
ings may be, this desire ought to be. subordinate to the 
will of God; so that, if we are deprived of them, we 
should not be disturbed in mind, nor in the least disqui¬ 
eted : for the fulfilment of the divine will is preferable 
to every thing else; and what is most important for us, 
is, to be entirely resigned to it. 

I do not, however, mean to say, that we should not 
rejoice, when God vouchsafes to come near us, and be 
sorry, when he withdraws himself from us; for it is im¬ 
possible for the soul not to experience those feelings, 
under such changes of circumstances. Even Jesus 
Christ was sensibly affected to see himself forsaken by 


CHUtSTIAN PERFECTION. 


225 


his eternal Father, when he exclaimed: ‘‘ My God! 
my God ! why hast thou forsaken me ?” * But what I 
wish to intimate, is, that we should endeavour to de¬ 
rive our benefit from these trials, which God some¬ 
times sends to his elect, by entirely resigning ourselves 
to the divine will, saying with Jesus—when his soul 
was “ sorrowful even unto death” — ‘‘Nevertheless, not 
as I will, but as thou wilt.” f 

What ought to induce us still more to act in this man¬ 
ner, is, that the perfection of a Christian does not consist 
in the sweetness of sensible consolations. Our spiritual 
advancement is not measured by this; but by our love 
for God, w'hich is independent of these consolations, and 
consists in our being entirely resigned to his divine will, 
in all things, and thanking him, for all things. It was 
the advice of St. Paul to the Thessalonians: “ In all 
things, give thanks; for this is the will of God, in Christ 
Jesus, concerning you all.” J Let us, therefore, say to 
ourselves, in times of spiritual dryness and aridity. If it 
he the will of God, that I should be put to this trial, 
what else can I wish } I have nothing more at heart, 
than to please him; life was given me to that pur¬ 
pose ; however darksome and rugged be^ the path, 
through which he chooses to lead me, I have no 
right to complain ; and I would not wish to follow 
another, though ever so smooth and pleasant, against 
his holy will. Ah ! exclaims Father Avila, if God 
would enlighten our minds we should plainly understand, 
that nothing is desirable, or deserving to be apprehend¬ 
ed, but according as it is conformable, or contrary to the 
divine will. 


♦ Mat. x^xvl 45. 


t ib. xxvi. 39, 


I 1 Thes. V. 18. 


226 


THE PRACTICE OP 


CHAPTEil X. 


On spiritual retreats. 


Thus far, I have gone over the first part of Rod¬ 
riguez’ “ Practice of Christian Perfection,” with the 
exception of his remarks on Spiritual Retreats. I 
shall now briefly introduce this subject, with a few 
extracts from the preface to the celebrated Retreat 
/ of Bourdaloue, and refer the reader to that excel- 
" lent work. 



CHRISTIAN TERFECTION. 


227 


t 

SECT, I. 


Object and utility of spiritual retreats. 


During a spiritual retreat, we interrupt our ordina¬ 
ry occupations, and, laying aside all kind of tempo¬ 
ral business, we commune with Grod alone, on the mo¬ 
mentous affair of our salvation. In this silence of ^11 
worldly cares, the soul, restored as it were to her¬ 
self, can, with more ease, rise to the contemplation of 
God’s infinite perfections, and dwell, at leisure, on the 
eternal truths of Christianity. It is then, that, prostrate 
before the Lord, we call to mind the years that are 
past, and “ recount them to the Lord, in the bitterness 
of our soul.”* We acknowledge our wanderings, 
discover their cause, seek for their remedies; and, af¬ 
ter bewailing our former transgressions and present 
sloth, form strong resolutions, and take solid mea¬ 
sures to atone for them, and to make further progress 
in the service and love of God. 

God, on his part, is not wanting to us. As soon as, 
by the help of his grace, we are disposed to listen to 
him, he makes himself heard, by the most intimate 
communications. Lights, inspirations, inward illustra¬ 
tions, spiritual consolations — he spares nothing. He 
represents to us our duties ; he reproaches us with our 
infidelity; he gives us an ardent desire of perfection ; he 
encourages us to fulfil it, suggests the means, and, by the 
fervor with which he animates us, alleviates all difficul¬ 
ties. 


*l8aias, xxxviii. 15. 


22& 


THE PRACTICE OP 


And let none imagine that, 'in the world, the exercis¬ 
es of a spiritual retreat are useful only for great sin¬ 
ners, who are not, it would seem, to be reclaimed 
from their evil ways, by any other means. The truths 
of religion are always the same, in the main, and for all 
slates and professions. There is no difference except 
in the application, which every one is to make of them 
to himself, according to his situation in life, and the pe¬ 
culiarities of his own circumstances. Nay, there is al¬ 
ways a number of virtuous souls, who, more regular 
and more fervent, than the generality of Christians, 
practise, even in the midst of the w^orld,the greater part 
of the exercises of the religious profession, and endea¬ 
vour to come as near as they can to the perfection of 
those who have bound themselves, by solemn vows, to 
the observance of the Evangelical Counsels. Now these 
chosen souls wdll derive from spiritual retreats such be¬ 
nefits as they are knowm to produce in w^ell regulated 
communities — the knowledge of their duties, accord¬ 
ing to their vocation, the consolation of their griefs, 
and the exaltation of their joys. 


SECT. II. 


JVecessary dispositions to be benejitted by spiritual re- 
treats. 

But notwithstanding the advantages of spiritual re¬ 
treats, we are still obliged to acknowledge that they 
sometimes become unfruitful. The reason is, that we 
do not perform them with the necessary dispositions. 
For, in general, God acts in us according to the prepa- 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTIDN. 2^9 

cation of onr hearts : hence the scripture warns us ‘‘ to 
prepare our soul, before prayer.” 

The most essential point in this preparation, that 
which comprehends all the others, or on which they de^ 
pend, is an upright intention — a sincere wish to 
know ourselves well, and to work at our improvement 
and perfection in the service and love of God. Without 
this, there is little, or no benefit, to be expected from a 
retreat “ If you seek, seek.” * — This expression of 
the Prophet gives us sufficiently to understand how 
much we should mistrust our pretended good inten¬ 
tions. Often we seek God, or at least, we flatter 
ourselves that we seek him, though we do not seek 
him truly; we imagine that we wish to be his, when 
we, in effect, do not wish it 

Let us therefore prove our hearts before we com¬ 
mence a spiritual retreat, and strongly excite in them 
an ardent desire of a holy renewal of ourselves. 

From this first disposition, all the others will fol¬ 
low: animated by this holy desire, we shall punctu¬ 
ally observe all the rules which the masters of a spi¬ 
ritual life have laid down for the exact performance of 
a spiritual retreat We shall keep a strict silence, 
banish from our minds all thoughts that might create 
distractions, give each exercise its hour, its place, and 
all the attention it requires. In fine, we shall give 
ourselves up entirely to the guidance of the spirit of 
God, that he may work in us both to will, and to ac¬ 
complish, according to his good will.” f — “ The Fa¬ 
ther of mercies, and the God of all consolation,” J 
who seeks even those who “ flee from his face,” will not 
withdraw from one who comes lo him. And yet, we 
should take care not to lay too much stress upon the 
sensible devotion and pious feelings, which we may 
experience during our retreat. The most tender affec- 

* Isaias, xx). 13. t Philip, ii. 13. | 2 Cor. i. 3. 

30 


230 


THE PRACTICE OF 


tions, and lively sentiments of piety, in meditation, 
are of little avail, if we do not go further and reduce 
them to practice. For it is practice which sanctifies ; 
and the masters of a spiritual life have never thought 
much of mere feelings, however generous and pious they 
might be, unless they were accompanied with strong 
and holy resolutions. They are not even satisfied with 
this; but they wish, that, not confiningourselves to vague 
and indefinite purposes of doing better, we should come 
to particulars and enter into detail, in the resolutions 
we form; that we should turn our attention to such 
faults as we are most liable to commit, and resolve 
to use such means as we know to be the surest, and 
most efficacious to avoid them. Others again, ad¬ 
vise us to write down what we have thus resolved, and 
promised to God, so that, by reading these resolutions, 
from time to time, we may find in them the condemna¬ 
tion of our infidelities, and future relapses. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


231 


CHAPTER XL 


On the characteristics of Piety. * 


Sinners should make an exact search into the sins 
of which they are guilty, in order to humble and 
punish themselves for them — ‘‘I will recount to thee 
all my years in the bitterness of my soul.” f Per¬ 
sons who make profession of piety, and lead a retir¬ 
ed life, exempt from the gross disorders of the world, 
must attentively examine before God the imperfection 
and little solidity of the virtues which they have ac¬ 
quired. Without this examination, which serves to in¬ 
spire us with humility, fear, and diffidence of ourselves, 
even our virtues become hurtful to us, or at least, dan¬ 
gerous : they fill us with a presumptuous confidence in 
our own strength and esteem of ourselves, and cause us 
to pass our life in a state of perpetual illusions — “ Thou 


* From Fenelon. 


t Isaias, xxxviii. 15. 



232 


THE PRACTICE OF 


sayest: I am rich, and made wealthy, and I have need 
of nothing; and thou knowest not, that thou art wretch¬ 
ed, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” * 

How many persons do we see, who, upon this vain 
confidence in their good intentions, pursue a false line 
of conduct! who are greatly deceived about them¬ 
selves, and who shock and scandalize their neighbour^ 
while they imagine that they please and edify him t 
who, to use the words of St. Gregory, flatter and per¬ 
suade themselves that they love in virtue, what they re¬ 
ally do not love ! Nothing is more awful than these 
examples, nothing more proper to make us look seri¬ 
ously to ourselves* and study carefully what we are. 
Perhaps we resemble those deluded persons, whom we 
pity ; perhaps others view us with the same compas¬ 
sion. Those people have a good intention, and be¬ 
lieve themselves to be in the right, as well as we. 
Are we not in error, and do we not flatter ourselves, 
as well as they ? It is self-love which flatters and 
dazzles them; have we not in us the same seducer.? 
Let us fear, then, to be in that “way, which seemeth 
just — but the ends whereof lead to death.” f We 
owe this zeal and respect to devotion, to render it irre- 
prehensible in us. So many persons do it injury, by the 
weaknesses and indiscretions, which they blend with it, 
that we ought to regulate ours, in such a manner as 
to remedy this evil, and repair this scandal. 

What do we not owe to piety ! “ It is profitable 

to all things.” J It has freed us from innumerable er¬ 
rors; it has enabled us to conquer our passions, and 
evil habits;, it has made us relish the truths of reli¬ 
gion, disgusted us with the pleasures of the world, and 
protected us against the fatal snares with which it is fill¬ 
ed. Shall we be ungrateful after receiving so many bea* 


Apoc. iii. n.. 


fProv. xiv. l2. 


t 1 Tiw. iv.. 8., 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


233 


efits ^ Shall \ye not have the courage to sacrifice to piety 
all our unruly inclinations, whatever it may cost our self- 
love ? However, let us take great care not to judge of 
our virtue from appearances. The false scales of the 
world which the scripture calls “ an abomination be¬ 
fore the Lord,” * are very different from those in which 
the divine justice weighs all our actions, f God, who 
penetrates into the inmost recesses of the heart, often 
sees and condemns in us certain passions, which lie hid 
under the outward appearances of virtue and religion. 
He can never be deceived by an apparent regularity 
of conduct; nor imposed upon, by the external acts of 
superficial piety. Let us, therefore, be careful not to 
content ourselves with these equivocal signs; and see if 
the essentials of piety be discernible in our sentiments 
and in our actions —of a piety useful to all, simple, dis¬ 
interested, and constant; that does good, and hides it; 
that “ seeks not to please men,” J or wishes to please 
them, only for God’s sake — of a piety, in short, that goes 
so far as to forget itself, and attends solely to the cor¬ 
rection of its faults, and the fulfilment of its duties. 

We shall make this examination with regard to 
God, to ourselves, and to our neighbour. 

* Prov. xi. 1. fPs. vii. lO. Jxi. 10. Osee, xii. 7. Heb. iv. 13. Apoc. iii. 

X Gal. i. 10. 


20* 


234 


THE PRACTICE OF 


S E CT. I . 


The characteristics of piety with regard to God. 


Every one should examine himself, in order to ascer¬ 
tain if he is in that disposition in which he ought to be^ 
w’ith regard to God, and without which, all his piety, 
however fervent rt may appear, can have no solidity — 
Do we love to suffer for God ? — are we willing to die, 
that we may be united with him ? — do we love to 
think of him? — are we fully determined to give our¬ 
selves up entirely to him ? Our answer to these ques¬ 
tions will show the true state of our hearts. 

1. Do we love to suffer for God ? — 1 do not speak 
of a certain vague love of sufferings, appearing in w^ords, 
but wanting in actions ; of a love of sufferings, which 
consists in notliing else than a habit of speaking pom¬ 
pously and emphatically of the value and excellence of 
crosses, whilst we shun them with pusillanimity, and 
seek after all the comforts of life. Nor do 1 allude to 
that imaginary spirituality, which makes us talk of no¬ 
thing but resignation, patience, joy in tribulations, and 
the like topics, whilst we are sensibly affected by the 
slightest inconveniences, and use every means to have 
nothing to bear from any one, and to be in want of no¬ 
thing. St. Paul was animated by sentiments very differ^ 
ent from these, when he wrote to the Corinthians, that 
“ he w^as filled with comfort and exceedingly abounded 
with joy,” although “his flesh bad no rest,” and “he 
suffered all tribulation — combats without, fears with' 
in.” * 


* 2 Cor. vii 4. 5. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


235 


And let us not imagine that the zeal of this great apo&- 
tle should not be imitated by us, under the pretext that 
our minds are less strong and less elevated, and our vo¬ 
cation less sublime. “ To you it is given,” he said to all 
the faithful, “ not only to believe in Christ, but also' 
to suffer for his sake.” * That is : if you submit on¬ 
ly your minds to God, by believing all his mysteries, 
your sacrifice is imperfect, and your will still remains 
free and unmortified. Be not satisfied with offering ta 
God a stcril faith; add to it the oblation of a heart, 
humbled and suffering for him.f In vain do you follow 
Jesus Christ, if you do not carry the cross with him; in 
vain will you hope for his glory and kingdom, if you re¬ 
fuse to share in his humiliations and sorrows. | 

These two states have a necessary connexion with 
each other; we cannot arrive at the former, but by 
passing through the latter: it is the road which Jesus 
followed — he did not wish to leave us another. § 
Would you dare complain of a law, which is founded 
upon such a precedent ? || How sweet it must be for 
the pious to suffer in this life, when they know that they 
suffer with Christ, to imitate him, to please him, and to 
merit the joys which he has promised to those who 
mourn! ^ 

All our happiness, says St. Cyprian, consists in suf¬ 
fering evils in this world, with the hope of eternal con¬ 
solation— “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation.”** 
The deceitful enjoyments of this life are left to those 
who expect and seek none moie real: the evils of this 
world are destined, by the mercy of God, for those 
chosen souls, whom he wishes to detach from its cor¬ 
ruption,^ and prepare for endless and inestimable bless¬ 
ings. To seek happiness on this earth, is to forget 

* Philip, i. 29. f Ps. 1. 19. % Mat. xti. 24. Luke, xxiv.26. 

UPetii. 21. II Mat. V. 12. 

IT Mat. V. 6. Luke, vi 21. •* Rom.xii. 12. 



236 


THE PRACTICE OF 


that vve are in exile, and renounce the hopes of our 
country. Hence the same saint said to all Christians, 
that, by taking this venerable name, they devoted 
themselves to all kinds of present and sensible sufferings, 
to wait for invisible and eternal blessings ; and, that the 
heirs of a crucified Saviour, were not permitted to fear 
either punishments or death. 

He calls them heirs of one crucified, because the Sa¬ 
viour, when immolating himself for the love of men, left 
his true children no other inheritance, in this world, 
than the cross, that is to say, sorrow and humiliation. 
What a frightful inheritance ! — Jesus “ filled with re¬ 
proaches,^’ * naked, and dying on the cross ! Yet, we 
must renounce his heavenly inheritance, if we do not ac¬ 
cept this temporal heritage of suffering and humiliation. 
“ For, through many tribulations, we must enter into 
the kingdom of God.” f 

These are truths which we often tell to others, but 
which, perhaps, we seldom tell ourselves. Let us can¬ 
didly compare the real sentiments of our hearts with 
these principles of the religion which we profess. 

If I were truly persuaded that a Christian life, is a 
life of patience, and continual renouncement of our own 
inclinations; if I sincerely loved Jesus Christ, suffering 
and humbled for me, would 1 refuse to humble myself^ 
and suffer for the love of him ^ Would I content myself 
with speaking of crosses, when there are none to be 
borne ^ would I give others lessons on their utility, with¬ 
out applying them to myself, when opportunities offer } 
Would I be so impatient in sickness, so discouraged in 
troubles, so uneasy in difficulties, so sensibly affected by 
the infidelity and ingratitude of my friends ? ^o jealous, 
so suspicious, so unwilling to forgive } so severe in cor¬ 
recting others, and so indulgent to myself? Would I 


♦ Lament, iiu 30. 


t Acts, xiy. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


237 


be so prone to murmur when I meet with opposition, dis¬ 
appointment, and humiliation ? 

Is it not a scandal, which should draw tears from our 
eyes, and pierce our hearts with sorrow, to see persons, 
who profess to be the followers and servants of Christ 
crucified, have so much aversion to sufferings, as to de¬ 
serve to be called, in the words of St. Paul, “ Enemies 
of the cross ?” * Can we separate Jesus Christ from 
the cross on which he died for us, and on which he de¬ 
signed to fasten us with him ? Can we love the Saviour 
without loving the cross, which will be the eternal token 
of his infinite love for us ? O precious cross ! must thou 
be, then, honored in words only, and appearance ! Shall 
those who can expect no grace here, nor glory hereafter, 
but through thee, fear and shun thee, with so much 
anxiety and cowardice ! 

How long shall we authorize by our conduct the com¬ 
mon reproach, so injurious to true devotion, and but too 
often well founded, that persons who profess to be reli¬ 
gious, are the most selfish and wedded to their own 
ease; that they wish to serve God, without subjecting 
themselves to any inconvenience; and hope to possess 
the happiness of the next life, at the same time that they 
enjoy all the comforts of this ; that, whilst they zealous¬ 
ly declaim against self-love, they take every precaution 
never to mortify it in themselves ? 

II. Are we willing to die, to be united with Christ ? — 
St. Paul, who felt this noble desire, w^ished that a Chris¬ 
tian, prompted by the hopes of religion, should groan 
and sigh under the weight of his mortal body, f And 
St. Austin, explaining this truth in its full extent, re¬ 
marks, that holiness of life and the love of death are two 
inseparable dispositions. The two loves of the two 
lives, says he, contend with one another in imperfect 


Philip, iii 18. 


t ibid. 1. 2. 3. Rom. vii. 24. 


238 


THE PRACTICE OP 


Christians. The love of this transitory life is so strong 
in them, that they possess it with pleasure, and lose it 
with regret. On the contrary, the perfect bear life with 
difficulty, and await death as their real good. And, let 
not these imperfect Christians tell me, he adds, that 
they desire to live longer, in order to become more vir¬ 
tuous : let them speak more sincerely, and avow, that 
they desire to prolong their life, because they are not 
virtuous enough to love death. Not to wish to die, is 
no proof that we aspire to a higher degree of virtue; 
but it is a sure sign that we have made but little progress 
in it. Let none then, allege the fear of God’s judg¬ 
ments, to justify that of death. If we feared only the 
judgments of God, in our passage to eternity, this fear 
inspired by the Holy Ghost, would be a moderate, 
peaceable, and religious fear. The perfection of our love 
for God, according to St. John, prompts us to place an 
entire confidence in him, on the day of his judgment. * 
If we loved him as our father, should we fear him as our 
judge } should we experience those cowardly fears, 
which trouble and prostrate usShould we be so 
much alarmed, as soon as the Lord knocks at our 
door, and warns us, by sickness, of the approach of 
death ? 

What! are we not convinced, that the longer we live, 
the more we increase the number of our infidelities, and 
swell our account with God ^ that the future will serve 
less to pay our ancient debts, than to contract new^ ones, 
perhaps, to render us insolvent } and that he, who loves 
Jesus Christ should fear the duration of a life, in which 
he is continually exposed to lose his grace, and displease 
him ? 

But there is a sort of infidelity, latent at the bottom of 
our hearts, which stifles ajl these sentiments. We be- 


♦ 1 John, iv. 17., 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


239 


wail the death of those we love, and we fear our own,' 
as if we had no hope. Who, judging from the vain pro¬ 
jects which we devise for this wretched and precarious 
life, and viewing the care we take to render it agreea¬ 
ble and long, could believe that we expect another, hap¬ 
py, and eternal, and that it only serves to delay our hap¬ 
piness ? Alas! says St. Cyprian, I am not astonished 
that they who find themselves happy in this world, wish 
to remain in it; nor that tliey who confine their hopes to 
this life, fear to see it end. Death is a real evil to those 
who do not wish to be united with Jesus Chiist, and 
who do not hope to reign with him in eternity. But 
how can they, to whom religion points out a sure way 
to a new life, and whose hope is full of immortali¬ 
ty,” * reconcile expectations, so great and so solid, with 
the frivolous amusements, which captivate their hearts 
here below ? 

Let us therefore conclude, that our faith and piety are 
weak indeed, since they cannot conquer our timidity 
with regard to death. We must take a very imper¬ 
fect and superficial view of the eternal resource of 
Christianity against death, and of all the blessings that 
await us beyond this transitory life, if we feel within 
us no anxiety to end our miseries, and enjoy these bless¬ 
ings. 

This is precisely the thing, on which every ohe ought 
to examine himself: Am I ready to die.^ and if I were, 
at this moment, called out of this world, would I will¬ 
ingly bid adieu to all creatures ? Is there not something, 
with regard to which, I have, until now, believed my¬ 
self to be indifferent, and from which, however, I could 
not part without difficulty ? Does my soul languish un¬ 
der the heavy chains, that hold her captive on this earth ? 


♦Wis. iii. 9. 


240 


‘the IPRACTICE OE 


Does she not, on the contrary, delight in these chains^ 
and love her slavery ? 

I must not here deceive myself by a false courage. 
Is it really true, that the ardor of my love for Jesus 
Christ, surpasses, in my heart, ihe natural fear and hor¬ 
ror I have of death ? Do I “ use this world, as if I us¬ 
ed it not”? Do I regard it as a fleeting shadow — “a 
figure that passeth away ?” * Do I impatiently desire 
to be no longer subject to its vanities ? Is there nothing 
that weakens this desire, and flatters my self-love ? Do 
I not seek to render my life agreeable, by the enjoyment 
of pleasures, which I call innocent, but which form, in 
my heart, against the designs of God on me, certain ties, 
which I am unwilling to break? In fine, do I, every 
day, seriously prepare for death, and regulate my life 
accordingly ? Will death, when it shall come, and sur¬ 
round me with its terrors, find me prepared to bear the 
fatal stroke with constancy ? Shall I not tremble at its 
approach ? What will become of my fortitude in those 
last moments, when I shall see myself between the world, 
vanishing forever from my sight, and eternity, opening to 
receive me ? 

The consoling hope of seeing Jesus Christ, and being 
forever inseparably united with him, should, undoubted¬ 
ly, suffice to strengthen and comfort us on the threshold 
of eternity. Whence is it then, that often those who pro¬ 
fess to despise life, do not fear death less than others ? 
that the least bodily infirmity alarms and disconcerts 
them, and that they sometimes take more precaution, 
and show more anxiety for the preservation of their 
health, than the lovers of the world ? Must we not own 
this to be a shame, and a real scandal ? Is it not in vain 
that they prepare for death, by a pious and retired life, 
if tliis preparation leaves them in trouble and trepida¬ 
tion at its approach ? 


♦1 Cor. vii. 31. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


241 


III. Do we love to think of God ? — that is, do we 
feel a sincere joy, when we pray to him, and meditate, 
in his presence, on the truths of religion ? 

Prayer, says St. Austin, is the measure of love. He 
who loves much, prays much ; he who loves little, prays 
little. He, whose heart is closely united to God, has 
no sweeter consolation, than not to lose sight of his pre¬ 
sence : he is delighted in being able to speak to him, to 
adore his greatness, to admire his power, to praise his 
mercy, and to trust to his providence. In this inter¬ 
course with her bountiful father, the soul pours out into 
his bosom all her troubles and anxieties. This is her 
resource in all the evils of this life : from humbly lay¬ 
ing open before him her weaknesses and her desires, 
she derives strength and comfort. As we are always 
imperfect in this world, and never free from sin, our 
whole life should be spent in doing penance for our 
faults, and giving thanks to God for his goodness ; and 
it is in the exercise of jjrayer, that we are able thus to 
beg his pardon for our ingratitude, and thank him for his 
mercy. 

Besides this necessity of prayer, St. Chrysostom 
speaks of another, which he explains in a manner equal¬ 
ly solid and moving. 

After having remarked, that piety is never firmly es¬ 
tablished in the heart, but by fidelity to prayer, he says : 
God wishes to make us feel, by this experience, 
that we cannot obtain his love, but from himself; that 
this love, which is the true happiness, of our souls, can¬ 
not be acquired, either by the reflections of our minds, 
or by the natural efforts of our hearts, but by the gra¬ 
tuitous effusion of the Holy Ghost. Yes, this love is so 
great a blessing, that God, jealous, as it were, of his 
gifts, wishes to bestow it himself, and grants it only to 
those who ask him for it. 

Therefore, it is by constantly and faithfully applying 
21 


242 


THE PRACTICE OF 


to him for this love, that vve may be filled with it. We 
must lay the blame upon ourselves, if our piety lias not 
that solidity and consistency, which are the sure fruit of 
fervent and assiduous prayer; for without this exercise, 
in which we strongly impress upon our minds all the 
truths of religion, and habituate ourselves to love and 
follow them, all the pious sentiments that we may 
have are nothing but a deceitful and momentary fervor. 

Let us pray then, but let us always have our duties in 
view, in our prayers. Let us not make sublime and ab¬ 
stract prayers, which have no reference to the practice 
of virtue. Let us pray, not to be more enlightened, and 
spiritual in words, but to become more humble, more do¬ 
cile, more patient, more charitable, more modest, more 
pure, and more disinterested in our conduct. 

Without this, our assiduity in prayer, far from being 
beneficial and efficacious, will be a source of iltusion to 
us, and a scandal to our neighbour. A source of illusion 
to us — The proofs of this assertion are but too numerous : 
how many persons there are whose prayers serve only 
to nourish their pride, and mislead their imaginations! 
A scandal to our neighbour — For can there be any 
thing more scandalous than to see a person who al¬ 
ways prays, and never corrects himself of his faults.^ 
who rises from his devotions, neither less frivolous, nor 
less vain, nor less capricious, nor less proud and selfish 
than he was before? 

IV. Are w^e determined to give ourselves up entirely 
to God ? — Do we look upon the care of his Providence 
over us, as our best resource ? On the contrary, do we 
not rely for the success of our undertakings on the timid 
and improvident suggestions of our own mind, and there¬ 
by render ourselves unworthy of God’s help and protec¬ 
tion ? 

The greater part of those who wish to give themselves 
to God, act as the young man, spoken of in the gos- 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


243 


pel. ♦ He had spent his yonth in innocence ; and hav¬ 
ing been trained from his infancy to the faithful ob¬ 
servance of the Law, he aspired to what is most per¬ 
fect and heroic in the practice of evangelical Coun¬ 
sels. Every thing seemed happily combined to raise 
him to an eminent sanctity —“ Jesus looking upon him,” 
says St. Mark, “loved him.” But a secret attachment 
to the perishable goods of this world, overthrew all the 
work of his perfection, at the very moment when it 
appeared that it ought to have been completed. No 
sooner had Jesus Christ proposed to him to part with 
his riches, and to follow him, than his covetous soul 
was terrified at the idea of a state in which he would no 
longer be permitted to possess any thing, and “he went 
away sorrowful.” He was “ sorrowful,” say the holy 
fathers, because he could not reconcile, in his weak 
heart, the love of riches, with the love of Jesus Christ. 

The disposition essential to one who consecrates him¬ 
self to God, is, to mistrust, without any exception, all 
human resources upon which the prudence of the flesh 
depends, and to wish nothing that may obstruct the de¬ 
signs of Divine Providence. 

We must incessantly repress that natural eagerness, 
which keeps us in constant dread of losing what we 
have, and continually prompts us to desire, without 
moderation, that which we have not. 

We must always be on our guard against the subtle¬ 
ties of self-love, that tries to make up for the sacri¬ 
fices which it has made to God, in matters of importance, 
by a more tenacious attachment to things of little mo¬ 
ment. For what can be more deplorable than to see a 
person, who has overcome the greatest diniculties in 
the way to perfection, cowardly look back, and ap¬ 
prehend to do too much.? 

And yet, can we say that many are free from this pu- 


*Mat. xix. 16. Mark, x. 17. 


244 


THE PRACTICE OF 


sillanimity ? Is it not true that most persons use so 
many reservations in the gift they make of tliemselves 
to God, that they reduce it almost to nothing ? With 
them, what is tempofal goes invariably before what 
is spiritual. They wish to accomplish their duties, 
and satisfy their consciences; but, they wish it on 
so many conditions, they are so much afraid it will 
cost them too much to give themselves to God, they 
foresee so many inconveniences, they would secure 
to themselves so many resources and consolations, that 
they insensibly annihilate Christian piety, and practise 
it carelessly, without any benefit to their souls. 

Whence is it that so many people undertake good 
works without any success It is because they under¬ 
take them with little faith : because they always look to 
themselves in what they do, and are not willing to prefer, 
in every thing, the interest of the work— which is that 
of God — to their ill-regulated desires and capricious in¬ 
clinations, to the weakness of their hearts which seeks 
for vain consolations, to dangerous friendships which 
they , should break, to a certain jealousy of authori¬ 
ty and consideration, which spoils the best things: in 
a word, it is because they alw^ays wish to serve God, 
with safety to themselves, to run no risk for his glo¬ 
ry, and would believe themselves unhappy if they 
were to suffer any loss, or to meet with any disap¬ 
pointment for his sake. I do not, however, mean to 
say that we are not allow^ed ttf take proper measures 
for the management of good w^orks: but, truly, there 
is a great difference between not wishing to tempt 
God, and irritating him by an injurious diffidence of 
his goodness. Can we expect from these timid and 
mercenary souls that generosity and strength, which 
are necessary to promote the designs of God } When 
we do not confide in Providence, we are unworthy 
to be its instruments. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


245 


God, who is “ Lord over all,” imparts his divine 
riches with profusion: but it is to “them, that call 
upon him,” * that trust only in him, and not to those 
cowardly Christians, who wish to forestall Providence, 
and never to be reduced to depend upon its protection. 


SECT. II. 

The characteristics of piety with regard to ourselves. 


To ascertain whether the characteristics of true piety, 
are to be found in our disposition with regard to our¬ 
selves, let us examine whether our zeal be not impru¬ 
dence, under the pretext of religion—our prudence, 
earthly policy — our devotion, the effect of natural 
inclination — our charity, an amusement. 

I. Is not our zeal imprudent ? — “ Let all bitterness 
and indignation, be taken away from you,” says St. 
Paul, t There is a bitter zeal, which must be amend¬ 
ed ; it aims at correcting^the whole world, and indiscri¬ 
minately reforming every thing: to see it act, one would 
suppose that all things are subject to its laws, and to its 
censure. We need but know its origin and effects, to 
discover how badly it is regulated. The origin of this 
pretended zeal is disgraceful: the faults of our neigh¬ 
bour clash with our own — our vanity cannot put up 
with that of others — our pride makes us find theirs 
ridiculous and insupportable — our restlessness rous- 

• Rom. X. 12. t Eph. iv. 31. Heb. zii; 15. 

21* 



246 


THE PRACTICE OP 


es us against the idleness and indolence of this per¬ 
son — our sullen disposition is annoyed by the unbecom¬ 
ing gaiety of that person, and our roughness of man¬ 
ners by the affected politeness of another. If we were 
without faults, we should not be so easily provoked 
by those of our fellow-beings. 

It is even certain that this contrariety and conflict, 
between our defects and those of our neighbour, great¬ 
ly magnify the latter in our imagination. And can there 
be a more base and more corrupt source of that cen¬ 
sorious zeal, which I have just described? If we 
were to avow honestly that we have not enough of 
virtue to bear patiently with all the imperfections and 
weaknesses of our neighbour, we should appear weak 
ourselves, and this is what our vanity apprehends. We 
therefore wish that our weakness should, on the con¬ 
trary, pass for strength; we make a virtue of it, and 
call it zeal — an imaginary, and often hypocritical 
zeal; for is it not astonishing to see how calm and 
indifferent we are about the faults of our neighbour, 
when they do us no harm, and how easily this admi¬ 
rable zeal is kindled in us, when our jealousy is excit¬ 
ed, or our patience tried by them ? — an accommodating 
zeal, which is exerted only in our behalf, and to take 
advantage of the faults of others in order to raise our¬ 
selves above them. If our zeal were real, and regulated 
by Christianity, it would always begin with ourselves ; 
we should be so occupied in correcting our own de¬ 
fects and weaknesses, that we should have but little 
time to think of the faults of others; nothing but 
conscience could induce us to examine the conduct of 
our neighbour ; and even when we are in duty bound 
to watch over him, we would do it with much caution 
with regard to ourselves, according to the advice of St. 
Paul: ‘‘ Brethren,” he says, “ if any man be overtaken 
in any fault, you who are spiritual^ instruct such a one 
in the spirit of mildness, considering thyself, lest thou 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


247 


also be tempted.”* By wishing to correct his ill-tem¬ 
per, we run the risk of yielding to our own ; and 
whilst we endeavour to repress his pride and his oth¬ 
er passions, we will perhaps sutler yourself to be 
carried away by our impatient and haughty disposi¬ 
tion. 

Let not the care you bestow upon the improve¬ 
ment of others, make you neglect that which you ought 
to take of your own. 

It would be a very imprudent zeal to forget your own 
spiritual wants, and apply yourself, exclusively, to the 
examination of your neighbour’s conduct. I know that 
the zeal, which prompts a Christian to exercise frater¬ 
nal correction, when it is pure and prudent, is pleasing 
to God; but we should not believe it to be disinterested, 
and “according to knowledge,”f unless it be always 
accompanied ivith mildness, and moderation ; for that 
zeal which kindles against our neighbour, and will not 
bear with any of his failings, serves only to disturb the 
peace of society, and to give scandal. 

Whatever is said or done, with passion, is ill-calcu¬ 
lated' to contribute to the amendment of our neigh¬ 
bour. 

When did we see any good effects result from a 
harsh behaviour } In the cause of religion, the heart is 
what we must gain ; and hearts are only gained by cha¬ 
rity, and condescension. It is not enough that we are 
in the right: we disgrace reason, and do it an injury, 
when we defend it with petulence and haughtiness. It 
is by mildness, by patience, and by kindness, that we 
insensibly conciliate to ourselves the good will of oth¬ 
ers, prepare them to hear the truth, put them on their 
guard against prejudices which they have long enter¬ 
tained, inspire them with necessary confidence, and en¬ 
courage them to conquer their bad habits. 


* Gal. vi. 1. 


t Rom. X. 2. 


248 


THE PRACTICE OP 


Wlien the man who needs correction, sees that he 
who reproves him is under the inHuence of ill-liumour, 
he feels little disposed to overcome his own. Selfdove 
is sure to revolt against the best advice, when it is 
given with anger and bitterness: God himself will 
never give his blessing to it. “Tlie anger of man,” 
says St. James, “ worketh not the justice of God.”* 

II. Is not our prudence, earthly policy .?—That blind 
wdsdom, which tlie flesh inspires, is “ death,” says St. 
Paul; “ it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it 
be.” t There is an absolute incompatibility between 
this worldly wisdom, and that of the true children of 
God: it resists the Holy Ghost, it grieves him, and 
thw^arts all his designs for the sanctification of our 
souls. 

This self-sufficient wisdom, which trusts to its own 
lights, though often reprobated in the gospel, is still 
rooted in the hearts ot most Christians, and deprives 
them of the greatest gifts of God. How many human 
considerations, that daily arrest the progress of the 
works of God ! To how many formalities and imagi¬ 
nary decorums, are the most sacred duties of religion, 
daily sacrificed ! 

In former times, Christians despised the ill-founded 
contempt of the world : at present, they fear its judg¬ 
ments, court its approbation, and regulate their- con¬ 
duct according to certain whimsical prejudices, by 
which it is guided in bestowing praise, or dealing 
out censure and abuse. 

The Christians of our days have, it seems to me, 
carried this timidity with regard to the judgments of the 
world, to a degree of pusillanimity and baseness, un¬ 
heard. of in past ages. 

The good works calculated to promote the glory of 
God, and the regulation of the piety of individuals, are 


Chap. i. 20. 


t Rom. viii. 6. 7. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


249 


made to depend upon a thousand human considerations : 
we dare not undertake for the interest of religion, but 
what is agreeable to the notions of the world. 

Yes, the world itself, that enemy to God, is daily 
consulted, on the most holy things. Not only do we 
consult it, not to give it scandal, which is a necessary 
precaution ; but we consult it, to accommodate ourselves 
to its vain maxims, and to make our good works de¬ 
pend upon its decisions.' This earthly prudence has 
found its way even into the souls of those who live 
a retired and religious life, and have withdrawn 
themselves from the gay circles, and fashionable follies 
of the world. How often do we see them anxious to 
obtain the approbation and applause of persons of high 
standing, to enjoy their confidence, and insinuate them¬ 
selves into their good graces ! How eager they are to 
promote their own interests, to realize their hopes, to 
fulfil their desires! how elated by success ! how cast 
down by the least disappointment! 

He who serves God after this manner, serves him fee¬ 
bly ; he divides his heart and care between him and a 
thousand things, that are unworthy our attention, and 
should be beneath our notice, when we have once devo¬ 
ted ourselves to the service of the Almighty. God is 
then obliged to wait for the opportunities, upon which 
we make what we wish to do for him depend : and not 
only is he obliged to wait; but he often meets with a 
refusal. We seek his glory, we wnsh to do good ; but 
it is only upon certain conditions, which render our best 
purposes entirely'useless. 

We drag a feeble and languid will to the practice of 
virtue, says St. Austin, which pleases our minds, with¬ 
out changing our hearts. 

Who is there among us who desires perfection, as it 
ought to be desired ^ Who desires it more than his 
pleasure, more than his reputation.^ w’ho desires it so as 


250 


THE PRACTICE OP 


to be ready to sacrifice to it all gratifications that are 
contrary to its attainment. 

Let us endeavour, for the future, to regulate our pru¬ 
dence by the Spirit of God ; let it not he the artful com¬ 
bination of disguised self-love, vanity, and presumption. 
Let us be prudent, that we may do good; but simple, 
that we may fly from, and even be ignorant of, what is 
evil. * Let us be prudent, but with due deference for 
our neighbour, and diffidence in ourselves. Let us be 
prudent, but let our prudence be exercised to promote 
the glory of God, to recommend religion, and to forget 
ourselves. 

III. Is not our devotion the effect of natural inclina¬ 
tion? — St. Paul, foretelling the evils with which reli¬ 
gion was threatend, says, that in the last days, “ men 
shall be lovers of themselves.”! This is what we see 
every day : men who relinquish the world and its vani¬ 
ties, to indulge in amusements still more vain and frivo¬ 
lous ; men who seek retirement, to gratify their unsocia¬ 
ble, and sullen disposition; men who are modest and 
peaceable, rather through weakness than virtue. Al¬ 
though there is but one gospel, yet each one adapts it 
to his own peculiar inclinations ; and whilst we should 
continually do violence to our natural disposition, to con¬ 
form it to that holy rule, we, on the contrary, use every 
means to bend the rule, and even to break it, in order 
to conform it to our inclinations and interests. 

I know that the grace of Jesus Christ is “ manifold,” 
as St. Peter speaks, J and assumes various forms in dif¬ 
ferent minds; but, after all, the essentials of religion 
are necessarily the same; and although the ways of 
going to God and obeying him are different, according 
to the different dispositions of our minds, yet, the various 
practices of religion should always meet at one fixed 
point, make us observe the same law, and unite us in a 
perfect conformity of sentiment, 

* Rom. xvi. 19. t 2 Tim. iii. 1. 2. J 1 FpiEt. i\. 10. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


251 


But where can we find this admirable conformity 
We see every where persons wlio disfigure religion, 
by wishing to adapt it to their own caprices. One 
is fervent in prayer, but he is bard and insensible to 
the miseries and weaknesses of his neighbour; another 
talks of nothing but the love of God and self-denial, 
whilst he is not willing to bear the least contradiction, 
or disappointment. Another loves to pray; but it is 
to fill his mind with useless, chimerical, and often dan¬ 
gerous speculations. And again, some, says St. Jerom, 
vVill deprive themselves of things that are allowed, to 
justify, in their own minds, the enjoyment of those 
that are forbidden, not understanding that if we offer 
any thing to God over and above justice, it ought 
never to be done to the prejudice of justice itself. 

This person will be ferv(5nt and scrupulous about 
works of supererogation, whilst he will be careless 
and unfaithful in the discharge of the most strict and sa¬ 
cred duties — he w^ill mortify his body by fast and 
abstinence, on days when there is no precept for it, 
and practise all kinds of austerities; but he will take 
no care to subdue his temper, and soften the harshness of 
his behaviour — he will give himself unnecessary trouble 
about those wdth whom he lives, and neglect his own bi- 
iness—he will never be tired of praying and med¬ 
itating in his closet; but,in church, to which duty calls 
him, he will give way to distractions, sloth, and ennui. 

It even often happens, through a strange disorder 
of the mind, that our works of supererogation inspire 
us with a rash confidence. When we do what is not 
commanded, we are easily led to think that we may 
dispense with doing what is of strict obligation. 

This person, who practises extraordinary hodily 
mortifications, fancies that he has a right to wound 
and mortify the feelings of others; as if, because he 
keeps his body in slavery, he were allowed to give 


252 


THE PRACTICE OF 


his mind the liberty of censuring, and contradicting his 
neighbour. 

Is it not a thing truly deplorable, to see persons 
wish to he highly thouglit of, because they prac¬ 
tise certain virtues, and consider the violence, which 
they do themselves in some instances, as a title to 
control the inclinations of others, and to gratify their own 
predominant passions.'* It would certainly be far pre¬ 
ferable to confine ourselves to our duties, and fulfil 
them with simplicity and fidelity, than presumptuously 
to meddle wfith the conduct of our fellow-beings. 

It is better to be indulgent with oneself and with oth¬ 
ers, than to be both so zealous, and so vexatious. Place 
every virtue in its proper rank: practise, according to 
the measure of grace which has been given you, the 
most difficult virtues; but do not wish to practise 
them at the expense of your neiglibour. Charity and 
justice are the first of all human virtues: why cherish 
and practise the others to the prejudice of these ? 
Be austere; but be humble: be full of zeal for the re¬ 
formation of abuses; but be mild, charitable, and com¬ 
passionate. Do, for the ^lory of God, all that your 
love for him will prompt; but begin by the duties of 
the state of life in which he has placed you: without 
this^ your virtues will only be mere whims and fan¬ 
cies ; and by wishing to glorify God, you will scanda¬ 
lize every body. 

But presumption and caprice, are not the only cha¬ 
racteristics of the devotion of our age: it is also dis¬ 
tinguished by two other disgraceful features — idleness, 
and the love of our own ease. For many, it is a pre¬ 
text to lead an easy, idle, and obscure life, — a rest¬ 
ing place, in which their vanity and sloth are freed 
from the agitation, and slavery of the world. 

And what kind of piety is this, that excludes pen¬ 
ance and humiliation } that looks upon devotion as a 
source of spiritual consolation, and a solace amid the 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


25S 

griefs and tribulations of this life; but never sincere¬ 
ly seeks, in its practice, that magnanimous spirit and 
strength, which animates and supports a Christian in 
the severest trials. 

No, says St. Jerom, we will never consent to let the 
world have so mean an idea of piety. Whatever 
may be the erroneous notions of certain persons with 
regard to its practice, we shall always maintain against 
them, that it is neither idle, nor pusillanimous. The 
Son of God has said it, the kingdom which he promis¬ 
es, can be obtained only by violence. * 

IV. Lastly, is not our charity an amusement ^ — 
Are not our friendships vain, and ill-regulated is it 
not true, as St. Chrysostom remarks, that we are of- 
tener unfaithful to God by our friendships, than by 
our enmities } For, says he, there is a terrible law, 
which forbids us to hate our neighbour; and when 
we discover in ourselves feelings of hatred and re¬ 
venge, we are justly alarmed at our danger, and hasten 
to be reconciled to our brother. But it is not so 
with our friendships — we find that there is nothing 
more sweet, more innocent, more natural, more con¬ 
formable to charity, than to love our neighbour — reli¬ 
gion itself serves as a pretext to the temptation. 

Thus, we are not sufficiently on our guard in form¬ 
ing friendships— we often form them almost without 
reflection, and without following any other rule, than 
a blind prejudice, or a whimsical inclination. 

Do we give to every thing we love the place 
which it ought to have in our hearts Are our 
friendships regulated by our faith } Do we love those 
persons most, whom we can lead to God, or who 
can lead us to him ? Do we not merely seek our 
own pleasure and amusement, in the choice of our 
friends } 


22 


» Mat. xi. 12. 


254 


THE PRACTICE OF 


Alas! how frivolous are our friendships! how nfiuch 
time lost in expressing feelings of regard, esteem, and 
affection, which often we do not really experience! 
Again, how many professions, disclosures, and effusions, 
both useless and dangerous! 

I know that we are permitted to love those more, 
who are either more deserving of our affection by their 
good qualities and real merit, or with whom we are 
more closely united by the dispensations of providence; 
but we must be sober, and cautious in these friendships. 
They must proceed from the heart; but they must be 
discreet, moderate, and always under the control of the 
general law of charity. They should be manifested out¬ 
wardly, only so far as it is necessary to show esteem, 
cordiality, and gratitude, without any of those exagge¬ 
rated marks and expressions of tenderness, affection, and 
partiality, which betray affectation, weakness, enthusi¬ 
asm, or blind attachment. The most holy friendships 
should be kept within these bounds. 


SECT, III, 


The characteristics of piety with regard to our neighbour. 


As regards our external conduct towards our neigh¬ 
bour, we have three things to do — to be humble — to 
act—to suffer. 

I. To be humble — Humility is the foundation of that 
peace which we are bound, “ as much as in us, to have 
with all men.” ♦ As “ God resisteth the proud,” f so 


• Rom. xii. 18. 


t 1 Pet. T. 5. 




CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


255 


the proud always resist one another, says St Chrysos¬ 
tom. Pride is incompatible with pride : it is the source 
of the divisions which disturb society *, and as to the 
works that are undertaken for the glory of God, they 
are all necessarily founded on humiliation, and they can¬ 
not be promoted by any other means, than those which 
the Son of God himself chose to accomplish his great 
work — the establishment of the church. 

We should be “ subject to every human creature, for 
God’s sake,” * as St. Peter says. We should conquer 
all kinds of difficulties, by constant patience, and con¬ 
stant humility. We should always be ready to do any 
thing, though ever so humiliating, that justice or char¬ 
ity may require of us; and undertake, with great diffi¬ 
dence of ourselves, what is calculated to conciliate to us 
the approbation and praise of the world, even when our 
duty compels us to act. We should sincerely love to 
be forgotten by the world and to live in obscurity, 
and regard that situation as the happiest and safest that 
could fall to our lot. We should renounce from our 
hearts all desire of reputation for talents, learning, mer~ 
it, or virtue, that might lead us to take a secret compla¬ 
cency in ourselves — the vile and unworthy recompense 
of the sacrifices which we have made for God’s sake — 
and “ be little in our own eyes,” f 

We must guard against a certain subtle, and secret 
pride, which renders those who are tainted with it, 
presumptuous, disdainful, and censorious; leads them 
astray, and renders them incapable of uniting wdth oth¬ 
ers in the prosecution of good works. 

We must stifle, at the bottom of our hearts, growing 
jealousies, petty seekings of our own honor, vain desires 
to please, to succeed, to be praised, fears of seeing oth¬ 
ers preferred to us, the wish to decide and act by our- 


* 1 Pet. ii. 13. 


1 2 Kings, vi. 22. 


256 


THE PRACTICE OF 


selves, the natural passion for governing, and making our 
sentiments prevail over those of others. 

Ever since Jesus Christ, according to the doctrine of 
St. Paul,* by calling ail men, has rendered all condi¬ 
tions equal, all those distinctions that flatter self-love and 
ambition, says St. Chrysostom, are excluded by Chris¬ 
tianity. God having made no difference among men in 
the distribution of his most precious gifts, it is in vain 
that some pretend to be distinguished from the others, 
by advantages which have no reality. Let us, therefore, 
forget ourselves, and our imaginary rights to distinction 
and preference; and, “ in humility, esteem others better 
than ourselves, each one not considering the things that 
are his own, but those that are other men’s.” f 

These rules are soon given; but they are not so easi¬ 
ly observed. Nature must be entirely subdued by 
grace, before we can practise them to their full extent, 
and preserve, on all occasions, such simplicity^and humi¬ 
lity. 

Not only pride, but a natural haughtiness and sensi¬ 
tiveness of disposition render their practice very diffi¬ 
cult ; and, instead of respecting their neighbour with a 
true sentiment of humility, some persons^’ charity goes 
no farther than to bear with others through a sort of 
compassion, which looks very much like contempt. 

II. We must act—Whilst the short and precious 
time of this life is at our disposal, let us hasten to em¬ 
ploy it. Whilst any remains, let us not fail to devote 
it to good works. 

For when every thing else shall have vanished forev¬ 
er, the works of the just will “follow them” beyond 
this life. J And thus it is certain, according to the forci¬ 
ble language of St. Paul, that “ we have been created 
in Christ Jesus unto good ^vorks — that we should walk 

«Rotn. X. 12. 1 Cor. vii. 22. 25. 

J Apoch. x\r. 13. 


t Phil. ii. 3. 4. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


257 


in them,” * that is, spend our whole life in that happy 
employment. 

Let us therefore do good, according to the state of 
life in which God has placed us, with discernment, with 
courage, and with perseverance. With discernment: 
because, although charity wishes to go as far as the 
greater glory of God can require, yet, it knows how to 
keep itself within the limits prescribed by the nature of 
the work, or by the condition of him who undertakes it; 
it takes care not to engage inconsiderately in dispropor¬ 
tionate enterprises. With courage: for St. Paul exhorts 
us “not to be weary in well-doing,”f a disposition 
which would, at once, evince a want of zeal and faith. 
With perseverance : for we often see weak, light, and in¬ 
constant persons, who are easily disconcerted in their 
good purposes, who, to use a comparison from scrip¬ 
ture, “ put their hands to the plough, and look back.” J 

Occasions to do good, are found every where; but 
the will to undertake it, is wdiat we want. In the ob¬ 
scurity of a retired life, where vve have little or no com¬ 
munication with the w’orld, we shall find many opportu¬ 
nities of edifying our neighbour, and glorifying God. 

It is true, we should always act with precaution; work 
at the salvation of others, in such a manner as not to ex¬ 
pose our own; consult and promote their spiritual im¬ 
provement, so as not to neglect the care of our perfec¬ 
tion. Yet, w’e should not confine our zeal to ourselves; 
and when God vouchsafes to make use of us to promote 
the interests of his glory, it would be injurious to his 
goodness to apprehend that he will forget us. 

III. We must suffer — Yes, we must suffer, not only 
to submit to Providence, atone for our sins, and sanctify 
ourselves by the virtue of the cross; but also for the 
success of the works of God, in which we may have 
to take a part. 


* Eph. ii. 14. t 2 Thes. iii. 13. J Luke, ix. 62. 


258 


THE PRACTICE OF 


The Apostles, according to the testimony of the holy 
scriptures, were men who exposed themselves to all 
kinds of persecutions, outrages, and torments, to preach 
the Gospel. * The vilest motives prompted others to 
preach it too — “ some out of envy,” says St. Paul, 
some out of contention, not sincerely, imagining that 
they raise affliction to my bonds — But what then ?” 
says he, “ so that every way, whether by occasion, or 
by truth, Christ be preached; in this also I rejoice, 
yea, and I will rejoice.” f 

Such ought to be our disposition with regard to those 
designs of which God has made us the instruments. 
When, to ensure their success, there is nothing neces¬ 
sary but to suffer, let us suffer with joy — thinking 
ourselves happy that God, uniting his cause with ours, 
and wishing us to suffer for his glory, will feel interest¬ 
ed, for the sake of the same glory, to console us, and 
wipe off our tears. 

Whoever wishes to serve God must expect to suffer. 
All who will live piously in Christ Jesus,” says St. 
Paul, “shall suffer persecution.”! And the wise man 
had said^ long before: “ Son! wfflen thou comest to the 
service of God, prepare thy soul for temptation.”§ 

We must arm ourselves with courage, and patience. 
We shall suffer tribulations and meet with difficulties, 
which will shake our best resolutions, if our faith and 
charity are not strong and firm: the world will blame 
us, tempt us, and endeavour to deprive us of the tranqui¬ 
lity and happiness we enjoy in the practice of religion; 
our friends and enemies will seem to conspire in oppos¬ 
ing our pious designs. Even those friends who unite 
with us in the pursuit of good works, and from whom 
we should expect help and encouragement, wilt often, 
through diversity of humour and temperament, different 
views and contrary habits, become a source of new 
temptation to us. 

• ^cts, XV. 26. 2 Cor. iv. 11. 1 Thess. ii. 8. t Philip. *. 

X 2 Tim. iii. 12. § Eccl. ii. 1. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 


259 


Thus, unless our patience be great, our charity uni¬ 
versal, and our piety fervent, we shall feel the yoke of 
the Lord : “ light and sweet” as it is to those who take 
it upon themselves with courage and alacrity, it will 
lie heavy upon us, and we shall sink under its weight. 


260 


THE PaACTICB OP 


CHAPTER XII. 


On mortification. 


SECT. I. 


Mortification and prayer should always go together. 


Prayer is good with lasting,”* said the angel Ra¬ 
phael to Tobias, when he made himself known to him. 
Now, the holy fathers, by fasting, understand generally 
all that belongs to penance and the mortification of^the 
flesh; and accordingly, they consider mortification and 
prayer, as two of the principal means which most contri¬ 
bute to our advancement in perfection, and which 
should never be separated. St. Austin remarks, that 
as there were two altars in the temple of Solomon, one 
without, on which the victims were immolated *, and the 


♦ Tob. xii. 8. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


261 


Other within the sanctuary, where incense was offered 
to God; so, there should be two altars in us — one in¬ 
terior, to offer the incense of fervent prayer, after the 
example of the prophet king, who said, “let my pray¬ 
er be directed as Incense in thy sight * — the other 
exterior, to offer ourselves to God, by bodily mortifica¬ 
tions and austerities, or, as St. Paul speaks, by “chas¬ 
tising our bodies and bringing them into subjection,”! by 
“ crucifying our flesh, with our vices and concupiscen¬ 
ces.” I 

Mortification is a necessary disposition for prayer. 
“ The sensual man,” says St. Paul, “ perceiveth not the 
things that are of the spirit of God.” § In fact, prayer 
is the raising of our hearts and minds to God, and 
how can we raise them, when they are tied down to the 
earth, by worldly affections, the love of pleasures, and 
sensuality.^ They must first be emancipated and disen¬ 
thralled, before they can rise to the contemplation of 
the most High, and enjoy the heavenly communications 
of his holy spirit, “who helpeth our infirmity,” and, 
while “ we know not what to pray for as we ought, 
himself asketh for us.” || — “ Thou hast broken my 
bonds,” says the psalmist, “ 1 will sacrifice to thee the 
sacrifice of praise.”^ 

When water is troubled and muddy, remarks a father 
of the church, we cannot see ourselves nor any thing 
else in it; so when our hearts are not purified from all 
earthly affections, and our minds freed from all worldly 
anxieties, we shall not be able, when at prayer, to con¬ 
template the divine majesty of God, and “ consider the 
wondrous things of his law.” ** — Do you desire to see 
God, says St. Austin, take care first to purify your 
heart, and remove from it whatever may be displeasing 
to him : “ Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall 
see God.”tt 

* t Ps. cxl. 2. t Cor. ix. 27. J Gal. v. 24, 

41 Cor. ii. 14 . U Rom. viii. 26. H Pg. cxy. 16, 

Ps. cjfviii. 18. tt Mat. V. 13. 


262 


THE PRACTICE OF 


That prayer is an efficacious means to acquire perfect 
mortification, has been already proved in the chapter on 
prayer. Hence the saints suspect those prayers, which 
are not accompanied with the mortification of our senses 
and passions. The heart must be softened by prayer, 
and rendered susceptible of the impressions and touches 
of divine grace, before we can “ renounce ourselves, 
carry our cross, and follow Christ crucified.” The 
sweetness and calm, which we experience in the exer¬ 
cise of prayer, alleviates the difficulty we find in the 
practice of mortification and self-denial. Let us there¬ 
fore pray with fervor and perseverance, that we may 
acquire that perfect mortification, which is so strongly 
recommended in holy scriptures and by all the saints. 


SECT. II. 

The necessity and nature of mortification. 


The better to elucidate this important subject, I shall 
premise two remarks, which are considered as incon¬ 
testable principles by theologians. The first is, the dis¬ 
tinction of two parts in our souls — one superior, and 
the other inferior, or, as they are generally called, rea¬ 
son, and the sensitive appetite. In the happy state of 
original innocence in which man had been created, the 
inferior part of his soul was perfectly subject to the su¬ 
perior. But reason having afterwards revolted against 
God by sin, the sensual appetite revolted against rea¬ 
son; so that there sometimes arise within us, against 
our own will and without our cTwn consent, feelings and 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


263 


affections, which we condemn. The greatest saints 
have not been exempt from this temptation: “The 
good which 1 will,” says St. Paul, “ 1 do not; but the 
evil which I will not, that I do.” * — “ The corruptible 
body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation 
presseth down the mind.” f conflict between the 

superior and inferior parts of our soul, the spirit and the 
flesh, >vhich man experiences within himself, is a just 
punishment of his disobedience: he would not obey God, 
says St. Austin, and now he is not obeyed even by 
himself. 

By original sin, man was deprived of the gifts of 
grace, and “ wounded” in the gifts of nature, as divines 
speak. For he not only lost original justice, and the 
supernatural gifts attached to it, but he experienced a 
great alteration in the natural gifts which he had re¬ 
ceived: his understanding was obscured, his free will 
weakened, his inclination to good lessened, his proneness 
to evil increased; in a w ord, his whole nature was so 
much altered and impaired, that, what was, at first, 
easy for him to do, became extremely difficult, and, 
without the grace of the redeemer, often impossible. 
It is true, that by baptism, we are cleansed from orig¬ 
inal sin, the “guilt” of concupiscence is removed, says 
St. Austin; but the coii« upiscence itself, the “fuel of 
sin,” still remains for our probation: still, to use St. 
Paul’s phrase, “ the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and 
the spirit against the flesh, and they are contrary one to 
another.” J 

The second truth wliich we must bear in mind on 
the subject of mortification, and which is a necessary 
consequence of the firs’ is, that this irregularity of the 
sensitive appetite form^^ die greatest obstacle to our pro¬ 
gress in virtue. Henc we generally say, that the flesh 
is our greatest enemy . for it is the source of our tempta- 


• Rom. vii. 13. 


t Wisd. ix. 15. 


X Gal. V. 17. 


264 


THfi PRACTICE OF 


tions, and the ordinary cause of our sins. “From whence 
are wars and contentions amon^ you?” asks St. James, 
“ come they not hence? from your concupiscences, which 
war in your members.?”* Sensuality, concupiscence, and 
self-love are the causes of all our intestine wars, of all 
the sins, faults, and imperfections of which w'e are guil¬ 
ty, and, by consequence, the greatest obstacle we can 
meet w'ith in the road of perfection. 

From these truths it is easy to understand that morti¬ 
fication consists in remedying the evils of our passions, 
by repressing the irregular inclinations of corrupt nature 
and self-love. 

St. Jerom writing on these w^ords of Christ, “ If any 
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take 
up his cross daily, and follow me,” f says that, he de¬ 
nies himself and takes his cross, who, after having been 
dissipated, intemperate, and cowardly, becomes chaste, 
sober, and courageous. The same may be said of the 
passage from any other vice or imperfection to the con¬ 
trary virtue : from anger to patience, from pride to 
humility, from sloth and tepidity to the fervor of devo¬ 
tion. And what evidently proves the necessity of morti¬ 
fication, is, as St. Basil reiiiajks, that the Saviour says 
first, “ Let him deny himself,” and afterw^aids, adds, 
“ Let him follow me.” That is to say, if you do not 
first deny yourself, renounce your own will, mortify 
your evil inclinations, you will encounter a thousand 
difficulties and obstacles, which will prevent you from 
being able to follow Jesus Christ. Therefore, you 
must begin to open and smooth the way by mortifica¬ 
tion, which is the necessary groundwork not only gf 
perfection, but of a Christian life. This is the cross 
which we are bound always to carry, if w'e wish to fol¬ 
low Christ: “Alw^ays bearing about in our body the 
dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be made 
manifest in our bodies.” | 


• James, iv. 1. 


t Luke, ix. 23. 


t 2 Cor. iv. 10. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


265 


The better to understand the necessity of mortifica¬ 
tion, let us consider that one of the greatest punishments 
with which God visits the crimes of his people, is to 
deliver them up to the desires of their corrupt hearts, 
and the sensual appetites of the flesh: “My people 
heard not my voice, and Israel hearkened not to me ; 
so I let them go according to the desires of their heart; 
they shall walk in their own inventions.” * Thus, 
St. Paul, speaking of the ancient philosophers, who, 
“ When they had Icnown God, did not glorify him ; but 
became vain in their thoughts,” sa-ys : “ Wherefore he 
gave them up to the desires of their heart—and deliver¬ 
ed them up to shameful affections.”! Wo to you! if 
you should ever fall into the power of so dangerous an 
enemy. He, says St. Ambrose, who is unable to restrain 
Ids desires, will soon be carried away by them, as by a 
ferocious courser, which can no longer be controlled, 
but hurries him fieadlong down the precipice. “ If 
thou give to thy soul her desires,” says the wise man, 
“she will make thee a joy to thy enemies.” J 

If we reflect seriously upon the danger we run of los¬ 
ing our miserable souls, by yielding to the suggestions of 
corrupt nature, vve shall soon understand the meaning 
and necessity of that holy hatred of ourselves, which our 
l.,ord teaches us,§ and without which we cannot be his 
disciples. || We shall no longer be astonished at the se¬ 
verity which the saints used with themselves, and the 
austerities which they practised. They took great care 
not to indulge the body, and kept it under subjection, 
because they knew that if they should let it acquire too 
much strength it would soon gain the ascendency over 
the dictates of reason, and become ungovernable. Let 
us take care, says St. Austin, not to let our body have 
undue strength, lest it should wage war against our soul; 
but let us use all our endeavours to control and subdue 

♦ Pb. Ixxx. 12. 13. fRom. i. 21. 24. 26. J Eccles. xviii. 30. 31. 

§ John, xii. 25. Q Luke, xiv. 26. 33. Gal. v. 24. 

23 


266 


THE PRACTICE OF 


it, for ‘‘ he that nourisheth his servant delicately, after* 
wards shall find him stubborn.” * 


SECT. III. 


Our progress towards perfection^ is commensurate to our 
progress in the spirit mid practice of morlijicalion. 


Worldly persons, who view mortification merely as a 
salutary restraint from criminal gratifications, are will¬ 
ing to admit its necessity as a remedy for certain indivi¬ 
duals, and under peculiar circumstances — the lewd, the 
profane, the intemperate, and dissolute, they will grant, 
should restrain their unruly passions and appetites, mor¬ 
tify themselves, if you choose to call it so, by abstain¬ 
ing from vice — but they are not enlightened or candid 
enough, to admit its absolute necessity, as an indispensa¬ 
ble virtue. This truth, founded as it is in the knowledge 
of human nature, is still a mystery for the generality of 
Christians. They perhaps believe it, but as they will 
not understand it, they are sure to fail in its practice. 
However this may be, the saints and all the masters of a 
spiritual life have considered mortification as the neces¬ 
sary foundation of every other Christian virtue, and the 
measure of our spiritual advancement and progress to- 
w'ards perfection. 

Your progress in virtue, says the pious author of the 
Following of Christ, j in the words of St. Jerom, will 


♦ Prov. xxi*. 21. 


t B. 1. c. XXV. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


267 


be proportionate to the violence you use with your¬ 
self. If tlien, you wish to ascertain it by an infalli¬ 
ble rule, examine what you have done to mortify your¬ 
self; what victory you have obtained over your pas¬ 
sions ; what is your disposition with regard to humility, 
patience, and self-denial. For it is thus, and not by 
tlie consolations and sweets of piety, that you will be 
able to judge whether you have improved or not. It 
was by this rule that St. Ignatius judged of the spiritual 
advancement of those who confided to him the care of 
tlieir souls; and St. Francis of Borgia used to say, when 
he heard a person spoken of as a saint, he will be one 
indeed, if he be truly mortified. Doubtless, Christian 
perfection consists essentially in the love of God ; but if, 
by means of mortification, we succeed in correcting evil 
propensities, reforming bad habits, and purifying our 
affections, the love of God will at last preponderate in 
our hearts, which, being made for him, as St. Austin 
remarks, must needs remain restless and disquieted un¬ 
til they repose in him. The increase of charity, says 
the same saint, is the diminution of concupiscence; and 
when concupiscence shall be entirely extinguished, then 
charity will be perfect. 


SECT. IV. 


Two sorts of mortification. 


St. Austin, speaking on the text of St. Matthew, 
“ From the days of John the Baptist until now, the 
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent 



268 


THE PRACTICE OF 


bear it away,” * remarks that there are two sorts of 
mortification and cross — one corporal, which afflicts 
the body, as fasting, hair cloth, and the like austerities 
— the other, spiritual, which consists in ruling our pas¬ 
sions, combating our evil inclinations, and overcoming 
our dangerous propensities, by constantly watching over 
our hearts and senses. 

Of these two sorts of mortification, the latter is the 
more meritorious and elevated; and yet, nothing can 
excuse us from practising it; but we may have several 
good reasons to dispense with the former. Sick¬ 
ness, and even the weakness of our constitution, may 
dispense us with abstaining, fasting, and using any bodily 
austerities; but w^e can never be too sick or too weak, to 
l^e humble, patient, and resigned. 

“ God,” says Fenelon, “ makes us practise mortifica¬ 
tion, at all times, and every moment; but the maxim, 
that we must ahvays choose what is most mortifying and 
painful to nature, is altogether erroneous. By follow¬ 
ing it in our conduct, we should soon ruin our health, 
our affairs, our intercourse wdth our friends, and the 
good works of which divine Providence has given us the 
care. As to austerities, regard is to be had to the state 
of life, the wants, and the constitution of those who 
feel a desire to practise them. A constant fidelity to 
God, under the crosses which his providence sends us, 
is preferable to the practice of great mortifications, 
which attract notice, make us pass for singular, and 
tend to inspire us with vain complacency in ourselves. 
Whoever refuses himself nothing, within the order of 
providence, and seeks nothing, beyond that order, nev¬ 
er ends the day without having shared in the cross of 
Jesus Christ. There is a providence for crosses, as 
for all the necessaries of life; they are our daily bread; 
God never suffers us to be in want of them. Nay, it is 


* Mat. xi. 12. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


269 


sometimes a most pure mollification for holy and fer¬ 
vent souls, not to mortify themselves, according to 
their wishes, but to let God mortify them, when, and in 
the manner he pleases. 

“He who is not faithful under the trials to which God 
himself puts him, has great reason to fear lest his de¬ 
sire of extraordinary sufferings and mortifications, be 
a deceitful illusion. I believe that it is well to begin by 
trying ourselves in this fidelity to daily crosses, sent 
us by Providence.”—Thus far Fenelon. 

To these general principles, I shall only add, with 
all the masters of a spiritual life, that we should not 
have recourse to any extraordinary bodily mortification 
or austerities, without the approbation of an enlightened 
and prudent director, and one well acquainted with our 
motives for wishing to practise them, and the other 
circumstances, relative to our health, our profession, 
&c. already enumerated. 


SECT. -V. 


True love of ourselves should produce that holy ha¬ 
tred of ourselves^ recommended in the Gospel, and 
practised by all the sahits. 


The doctrine of Jesus Christ concerning mortifica¬ 
tion, which he calls hatred of ourselves, will be 
found, when properly understood, to be the effect of 
true love both of soul and body. God forbid, says 
St. Austin, that the spirit should hate the flesh — it 
hates its vices, its prudence, its rebellion. As a 
23 * 



270 


THE PRACTICE OP 


physician loves his patient, whilst he hates and com¬ 
bats the disease; so the spirit loves the flesh, but 
resists and mortifies its disorderly inclinations. And, in 
truth, love consists in wishing or doing good ; ha¬ 
tred, in wishing or doing harm; now, he who mor¬ 
tifies his body, wishes to obtain for it the blessing 
of a glorious resurrection; therefore, he truly loves 
it. On the contrary, those who flatter and indulge 
the body, hate it; because they procure for it eter¬ 
nal torments. 

Certain worldlings having expressed to St. Ber¬ 
nard their astonishment at the austere life led by his 
religious, and said that they showed great hatred to 
their bodies by treating them so badly, the holy 
Abbot answered : Pardon me, you are mistaken ; it 
is you, who hate your bodies; since, for the sake of 
some momentary enjoyments, you expose them to 
endless sufterings; but these men, on the contrary^ 
love their bodies, for they deal with them severe¬ 
ly, in this life, in order to secure for them eternal rest 
in the next. St. Austin, in his comments on these 
words of Christ, Whosoever will save his lile, 
shall lose it; and he tiiat shall lose his life for my 
sake, shall find it,” * exclaims. Behold a great and 
astonishing maxim! — flie love of man for his life, 
causes it to perish; and his hatred preserves it. If 
you love it improperly, he adds, you hate it; if you 
hate it properly, you love it. Do not, then, love it 
in this world, lest you should lose it in the next. 
Happy those who hate, and preserve it! “ He 

that loveth his life, shall lose it; and he that ha- 
teth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life ever¬ 
lasting.” f 

The same St. Austin remarks, elsewhere, that w^e 
may still love one thing, though we love another 
more. Thus he who consents to the amputation of 


♦ Matt. xvi. 25. 


t John, xii. 25^ 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 


271 


r 

one of his limbs, in order to save his life, still loves 
that limb; but he loves his life more. In like man¬ 
ner, he who mortifies his body, to save his soul, 
does not, therefore, cease^ to love it; but he loves his 
soul more — This conduct is not the effect of a want 
of love for the body, but of a greater love for God, 
our soul, our perfection, and life everlasting. 


SECT, VI. 


He who does not practise mortification^ does not lead 
the life of a Christian^ and not even that of a 
man. 


St. Austin says that the life of animals is of one 
kind, that of angels of another, and that of men of 
another again. The life of animals is all earthly ; 
that of angels, alf heavenly; but that of man holds 
a middle place between both — if he lives according to 
the spirit, he becomes equal to the angels — if he lives 
according to the flesh, he lowers himself to the condi¬ 
tion of the brutes. St. Ambrose expresses the same sen¬ 
timent in these words: He who lives according to 
the desires of the body, is flesh; he who lives ac¬ 
cording to the commandments of God, is spirit. The 
consequence we are to draw from this truth, is, that 
he who does not rule his passions, and control his 
appetites, by mortification, does not lead the life of 
a Christian, nor even that of a rational creature; but 
lives as a brute. 

This consideration alone should suffice to give us 
an exalted idea of mortification, and induce u-s to 



212 


THE PRACTICE OF 


cherish, and practise it: for what can be conceived nnore 
unbecoming and unworthy the dignity of a rational 
being, made after the image and likeness of God, and 
destined to enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, than to 
be a slave to appetites, and propensities, similar to 
those by which the brute creation is guided ? Alas! 
“ Man,” then, to use the language of the psalmist, 
“ when he is in honour, does .not understand; he js 
compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to 
them! ” * 

Would you not think it a most shocking sight, 
asks Father Avilla, to see a man, chained after a fe¬ 
rocious animal, and compelled to follow it whither¬ 
soever it went? and yet, how many persons suffer 
themselves to be carried away by their brutish ap¬ 
petites, and dragged through the ways of sin, and 
perdition! 


SECT. VII. 


There is less pain and trouble in the practice of mor 
tijicat'ion^ than in the indulgence of our passions 
and evil propensities. 


After having seriously reflected on the truths, al¬ 
ready laid down in this chapter, some one might 
say: I am fully satisfied of the utility, and necessity 
of mortification; but, when I consider its difficulties, 
and the privations to which it would subject me, I 
feel an insurmountable repugnance to its practice. To 


\ Ps. xlviii. 13. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


273 


such a person, I should answer, in the first place, 
with St. Basil: if for the health and preservation of 
our body, we willingly take the most bitter and dis¬ 
gusting remedies, and submit ourselves to the pain- 
lul operations of surgery; if, to acquire wealth, we 
encounter so much danger, both by sea and land, 
and undergo so many hardships — what should we not 
do to preserve the life of our soul, and obtain hea¬ 
ven.*^— is it not just that we should use violence 
with ourselves, and surmount every obstacle : But, 
as we are naturally averse to labor and trouble, 
and wish to suffer as little as possible, I answer, in 
the second place, that we shall suffer more by lay¬ 
ing aside mortification, than by practising it. A truth, 
which daily experience teaches, and which St. Aus¬ 
tin considers as a consequence of God’s justice : Thou 
hast ordered it, O Lord! he says, and so it is — 
every disorderly mind is its own tormentor. 

Of all kinds of slaveries, that which they experi¬ 
ence, who live under the absolute control of their 
passions, is unquestionably the most galling. Other 
slaves are free in the noblest part of themselves— 
their bodies can be chained and fettered ; but their 
will remains uncontrolled. When they are command¬ 
ed any thing contrary to conscience and duty, they 
can refuse to obey ; and, if necessary, vindicate their 
liberty by the loss of their life. But the slaves to 
their own passions, have lost what the cruelty of con¬ 
querors cannot take away from their captives —the pow¬ 
er and the will of regulating their own hearts, ac¬ 
cording to the laws of God and conscience. The 
former, sigh after liberty, and take every means in 
their power to recover it; the latter, love their slave¬ 
ry, and render their emancipation daily more difficult, 
until it becomes, at last, morally impossible. They 
daily rivet their chains, and multiply their masters. 

The effects of the passions on the heart of man. 


274 


THE PRACTICE OF 




are properly compared to those of a storm on the 
ocean: “ The wicked are like the raging sea, which 
cannot rest, and the waves thereof cast up dirt and 
mire.” * Let the winds be hushed, and a calm 
will ensue. In like manner, let our passions be re¬ 
strained, then will tranquillity and peace be restored 
to our souls. 

What we say of the passions, must also be un¬ 
derstood of all natural inclinations that are not con¬ 
formable to the perfection to which we should as¬ 
pire, according to our vocation, and the peculiar 
graces we have received from God. To yield to 
them, will deprive us of those interior consolations, 
of that joy of a good conscience, which we expe¬ 
rience when we counteract and reform them. In¬ 
dulgence to them, will produce remorse; remorse, 
will make us lose the peace of our souls; and, 
that blessing once lost, every thing will become 
troublesome, and dangerous. We shall iQse that 
strong confidence in the protection of God, which is 
founded on fidelity to grace, and constant watchful¬ 
ness over ourselves; we shall insensibly become a 
prey to uneasiness of mind, serious alarms, and per¬ 
haps awful despair. On the contrary, if we use a 
holy violence with ourselves, if we “ watch” over the 
emotions and desires of our hearts, and unmercifully re¬ 
trench the causes of sin — “cut off the hand, or foot, 
and pluck out the eye, that scandalizes us”t^—we 
shall be amply repaid for our efforts and sacrifices, 
by the peace, content, and consolation, with which 
God Almighty will reward us, even in this life. Be¬ 
sides, “ it is better for us to enter into life maim¬ 
ed, or lame, or with one eye, than, having two hands, 
two feet, and two eyes, to be cast into hell-tire.” J 


* leaias, Ivii- 20. 


t Mat. xviii. S. 9. 


tId. ibid, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


^75 


SECT. Till* 


The practice of meriijication. 


St. Bernard, s^peaking on (he practice of mortifi¬ 
cation, says, that we ought to deal with ourselves, 
as vve should do with a sick person, put under our 
care. Doubtless, vve would refuse him every thing 
that might be injurious to him, even if he should de¬ 
sire it ardently ; and we would make him take what¬ 
ever might be beneficial to him, though he were ever 
so averse to it. So, in like manner, are we to act 
with regard to ourselves, in the practice of mortifica¬ 
tion : we should deny ourselves all thmgs that may 
prove dangerous to the spiritual health of our souls, 
and prevail upon ourselves to do what may contribute 
to preserve, or recover it. Nor is this view of our¬ 
selves imaginary and fictitious ; for in reality, we arc 
all infirm and sick in one sense — our passions and 
evil inclinations are our diseases. Our fever, says a 
father of the church, is pride, our fever is ambition, 
our fever is sensuality, our fever is anger. This 
comparison will serve to direct us in the applica¬ 
tion of the principles already laid down, and throw 
some light on the practical inferences, which we shall 
draw from them. 

To come now to particulars, 1 say that the first 
thing we should do, is to avail ourselves of the op¬ 
portunities to practise mortification, which daily pre¬ 
sent themselves. And if we are truly careful to 
watch and improve them, we shall find many. Dif¬ 
ference of opinion, interests, views, and manners, on 
the part of our fellow-beings, independently of their 
passions, with which we shall often have to con- 


276 


THE PRACTICE OP 


tend, will afford us incessant occasion of self-denial, 
in our necessary intercourse with them. Sickness, pov¬ 
erty, mental aridities, and other spiritual trials, which 
come immediately from God, will also call for the 
exercise of the same virtue. These, I say, are the cir¬ 
cumstances, in which we should first learn the prac¬ 
tice, and acquire the habit of mortification; so that 
we may' improve into a source of virtue and merit, 
what we have to suffer, whether w’^e will or not. 
One great advantage in tlie mortifications, which oc¬ 
cur to us in this manner, is, that there is no danger of 
illusion in them, as there may be in those wdiich we 
seek ourselves. It is a great consolation for the pi¬ 
ous to know, that, by submitting to them, they do the 
wdll of God, wdio either sends them himself, or per¬ 
mits them to arise from secondary causes. And we 
cannot hut pity the blindness, and deplore the pre¬ 
sumption of those, who, while they would wish to 
be allowed the practice of great austerities, are yet 
unwilling to bear with patience, and improve the 
troubles and privations, w hich they cannot avoid. 

There are other kinds of mortification, to which we 
should subject ourselves of our owm accord, and 
through choice. Some indeed are necessary to lead a 
Christian life, and save our souls ; such as to refrain from 
whatever is an obstacle to the faithful observance of 
the Commandmeuts, and incompatible with our salva¬ 
tion ; the others are also necessary to acquire that de¬ 
gree of perfection, to which we may be called, by the 
mercy of God, and tlie peculiar dispositions of his pro¬ 
vidence with regard to us. 

In a word, such mortifications as are unavoidable, 
must be rendered meritorious by the patience, resig¬ 
nation, and humility, wdth which we bear them ; and 
to these we should add others, of our own choice, 
or rather, according to our spiritual wants, the pecu¬ 
liarity of our situation, and the designs of God on us. 


t}HRlSTlA.N PERFECTION. 


277 


SECT. IX. 


Jyiortijicalion m things lawful^ and even necessary. 


The practice of mortification should extend to things 
that are lawful, and even necessary. 

The first part of this rule, given us by all the mas¬ 
ters of a spiritual life, is founded upon the absolute ne¬ 
cessity of having our passions always under our con¬ 
trol. That we ought to accustom ourselves frequent¬ 
ly to abstain from lawful gratifications, lest we should 
insensibly be led to indulge those which are prohib¬ 
ited, is a maxim universally received among all sound 
moralists. Its practical utility and salutary effects 
are beautifully described by Dr. Johnson. Auste¬ 
rities and mortifications,” he says, “ are means by 
which the mind is invigorated and roused; by which 
the attractions of pleasure are interrupted, and the 
chains of sensuality are broken — Abstinence, if no¬ 
thing more, is at least, a cautious retreat from the 
utmost verge of permission, and confers that security 
which cannot be reasonably hoped by him that dares 
always to hover over the precipice of destruction, 
or delights to approach the pleasures which he knows 
it is fatal to partake. Austerity is the proper anti¬ 
dote to indulgence; the diseases of mind as well as 
body are cured by contraries, and to contraries we 
should readily have recourse, if we dreaded guilt 
as we dread pain.” 

The saints have been ingenious in devising means to 
practise this kind of mortification: their lives abound 
with instances of the assiduity with which they ap¬ 
plied to it. When we read them, do we say to our¬ 
selves, with St. Austin, Can I not do, what they 
24 


278 


THE PRACTICE OF 


have done ? Do we not, on the contrary, too easi¬ 
ly imagine that God does not require so much of 
us, as he did of them ; and instead of endeavouring 
to imitate their conduct, content ourselves with ad¬ 
miring their actions ? 

St. Bonaventure advises us to mortify ourselves in 
things altogether harmless; as to take, or not to take 
a flower, when we are walking in a garden: For, 
says he, although there would be no harm in tak¬ 
ing it, yet it would be more meritorious before God 
to abstain from it, with a view to mortify ourselves. 
A true servant of God, he adds, should often say 
within himself: For thy sake, O my God! I wish to 
deprive myself of looking at this, of listening to that, 
of enjoying this thing, of procuring that other, &c. 
Thus, as St. Gregory remarks, by abstaining from 
things lawful, we are more sure never to encroach 
upon things forbidden., 

I have also said that the practice of mortification 
extends to things that are absolutely necessary. And 
here, it will be immediately asked — How can this 
be possible } Why ? shall we, in order to practise 
mortification, dispense with doing our duty, and ful¬ 
filling our obligations? — By no means: We should 
not “do evil, that there may come good.”* — What 
then, must v»'e do ? — The saints have long since solv¬ 
ed this apparent difficulty, and their answer is found¬ 
ed on these words of St. Paul: “ Whether you eat 
or drink, or whatsoever else you do ; do all things 
for the glory of God.” f Divest yourselves of your 
own will, they say, renounce your inclinations; nev¬ 
er do, nor say, nor desire any thing, however use¬ 
ful or necessary it may be, because you like or 
need it, but with a view to obey, and please God ~ 
By this means, you will be able to unite the prac- 


* Rom. iii. 8. 


t 1. Cor. X. 31. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


279 


tice of mortification and self-denial with the faithful 
performance of your most sacred duties. 

This doctrine is of great perfection — To apply 
to our duty with pleasure and cheerfulness, not on 
account of the satisfaction it may give us or through 
natural inclination, but purely for God’s sake, and to 
do his holy will, is renouncing and mortifying our¬ 
selves in what is most dear to us, and truly “ do¬ 
ing all things for the glory of God.” 


- «- 

SECT. X. 


Mortification in things of great importance^ and in things 
of little consequence. 

y 

There are persons, who bestow particular care on 
the regulation of their external deportment, who show- 
great modesty and reserve in their intercourse with 
their neighbour; but, who lay entirely aside interior 
mortification, and are utter strangers to its prac¬ 
tice. We may apply to such persons what our 
Lord said to the scribes and pharisees : “Wo to 
you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! because you 
make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, 
but within, you are full of extortion and unclean¬ 
ness— you are like to whited sepulchres, which, 
outwardly, appear to men beautiful, but within, are 
full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness.”* — 


♦ Mat. xxiii. 25. 27. 



280 


THE PRACTICE OP 


The attention we pay to our external conduct, unless It 
be accompanied with watchfulness over the emotions 
of our hearts, and the government of our passions, 
can be of little service to us; and if it be consid¬ 
ered as a pretext to dispense with these necessary 
restraints, it is a dangerous illusion, and a sort of 
hypocrisy. 

Let us also take care not to imitate the conduct 
of those who are very particular in mortifying them¬ 
selves with regard to things of no importance, often 
mere trifles, which require no sacrifice of their in¬ 
clinations, whilst they carefully avoid all mortifica* 
tions, that would lessen their gratifications, deprive 
them of their favourite enjoyments, and undermin€h 
their predominant passions. These persons too, like 
the Scribes and Pharisees, “ pay tithe of mint, and 
anise, and cummin, and leave alone the weightier 
things of the law.”* 

We should begin by what is most important: that 
peculiar vice, that besetting passion, those inveterate 
habits, which daily cause us to commit sin, and, per¬ 
haps, holds us captive in its chains, are what we 
should first mortify in ourselves. And, after the ex- 
-ample of the prophet king, we should ‘‘ pursue af¬ 
ter these our mortal enemies, and overtake them; and 
we should not turn again till they^ are consumed.” f 

But, at the same time that we direct our attention, 
principally and habitually, to the conquest of those 
passions, and the destruction of those habits from 
which we apprehend the greatest danger, we should 
not omit the practice of mortification in other things, 
which, though less important in themselves, are still 
an obstacle to our perfection. We can say of these 
different sorts of mortifications, what our Saviour said 
to the Scribes and Pharisees, on the occasion already 


♦ Matt, xxiii. 23. 


t Ps. xvii. 38^ 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


281 


alluded to :—“ These things you ought to have done, 
and not to leave those others undone.” * 

I shall not repeat here what I have said else¬ 
where on the utility which we may derive from lit¬ 
tle things, and the danger to which we expose our¬ 
selves by neglecting them, but merely apply this 
fundamental doctrine of a spiritual life to the present 
subject. 

Mortification essentially consists in renouncing our 
own will — this is truly the self-denial, so often re¬ 
commended in the gospel — whence it follows, that 
its merit is independent of the things in which it is 
practised, and proportionate to the violence we have 
to use with ourselves in conquering our natural op¬ 
position and reluctance to them. Again, as we some¬ 
times find it more difficult to divest ourselves of our 
own will in things of little moment, than in those 
which are most important, the consequence is, that 
we may acquire more merit by practising mortifica¬ 
tion in the former case than in the latter. “We 
would much rather make certain great sacrifices, 
though ever so painful and arduous,” says Fenelon, 
“ on condition that we should enjoy the liberty to 
follow our own will and propensities in the ordinary 
details of life.” 

Moreover, the opportunities of mortifying ourselves 
in little things are of daily occurrence: “They re¬ 
turn every instant,” remarks the same author, “ they 
incessantly come in contact with our pride, our vanity, 
our sloth, our humor, and all our other inclinations.” 
Not to improve them, is, therefore, to deprive our¬ 
selves of an efficacious and habitual means to renounce 
our own will, and to acquire, by degrees, a perfect 
control over our passions. This neglect is also pro¬ 
ductive of another great evil: we accustom ourselves 


24 * 


*Mat. xxiii. 23. 


282 


THE PRACTICE OF 


to indulge our natural inclinations in many things, 
which we consider as mere trifles; they become 
stronger and more imperious, and, on the most im¬ 
portant occasions — when to act against them is an in¬ 
dispensable duty — greater exertions will be requir¬ 
ed, than we shall perhaps be willing to use. 


SECT. XI.' 

Remarks on the practice of mortification^ relative to 
three different sorts of persons. 


The great diversity which exists among men, al¬ 
most upon every subject, presents itself under three 
different forms with regard to the practice of morti¬ 
fication. 

I. There are persons who seem to have inherited 
from our common parent a greater share of that 
proneness to evil,” than generally falls to the lot of 
mankind. * They have a great deal to contend with, 
from their natural disposition; they find it extremely 
difficult to resist their inclinations, and control their 
passions. In a word, their temptations are many, and 
violent; but their will is good, their intention pure, and 
their piety sincere. To these, I shall say, with all the 
saints and masters of a spiritual life : Be not disturbed 
in mind, lose not the peace of your soul; there is qeith- 
er sin, nor imperfection in feeling such repugnance and 


• Gen. viii. 21. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 


283 


opposition, against your will, and without your con¬ 
sent. 

Sudden emotiorw, and evil thoughts against faith, 
modesty, or any other virtue, are not sinful, so long 
as they are not wilful On the contrary, when we are 
sorry for having them, and resist them, they become a 
source of merit. The same is to be said of natural 
evil inclinations, from wdiich arise in us that repug¬ 
nance and opposition to virtue, of which I speak : our 
being good or bad, perfect or imperfect, does, by no 
means, depend upon our being free from them, or not. 

The greatest saints were liable to sucb temptations : 
sons of Adam, as well as we, “conceived in iniqui¬ 
ty,”* and “ by nature children of wTath,”t they had 
principles of depravity common with us, but they 
counteracted those principles, and we suffer them to 
predominate, and superadd the force of habit to the 
infirmity of nature. Moses was naturally of a warm 
temper, yet, by fidelity to grace, prayer, and vigi¬ 
lance, he surmounted this temptation, and deserved 
to be called “ a man exceeding meek above all men 
that dwelt upon earth.” J The same propensities, and 
the same triumph over them, are observed, nearly four 
thousand years after, in St. Ignatius, St. Francis of 
Sales, and many others. The confessions of St. Aus¬ 
tin will witness to all ages, that the brightest virtues 
can be engrafted upon the most degrading passions. 
“ I know%” says St. Paul, “ that there dwelleth not in 
me, that is to say, in my flesh, that w^hich is good —to 
will good, is present with me; but to accomplish that 
which is good, I find not — I am delighted with the 
law of God, according to the inward man; but I see 
another law in my members, fighting against the law' 
of my mind.” || 

In a word, however troublesome may be the tempta¬ 
tions by which some persons are assailed, and how 

* Ps. 1. 7. t Eph. ii. 3. J Numb. xii. 3. (| Rom. vii. 18. 22. 23. 


284 


THE PRACTICE OF 


strong soever the natural repugnance, they experience 
to the faithful observance of their duties, if they do not 
lose courage, but combat against them, with firmness 
and resolution, the greater their struggles are, the 
greater will be their merit, and their reward. 

II. Whilst self-denial and mortification are attended 
with so much difficulty, with regard to many Chris¬ 
tians, there are others who feel no repugnance to what¬ 
ever duty prescribes and conscience dictates. “ They 
have received a good soul,”* and ‘‘ it seems,” as Alex¬ 
ander of Hales used to say of St. Bonaventure, “ that 
they have sinned only in Adam.” Being naturally in¬ 
clined to virtue, they find every thing easy in the ser¬ 
vice of God ; things, which would be most arduous 
to others, give them no trouble, and cost them no la¬ 
bor. 

Doubtless, such persons have, been blessed with a 
happy disposition ; yet it has its dangers : it generally 
excludes almost every other temptation ; but it may 
become one itself; it often leads to pride, and pre¬ 
sumption ; it raises us, and lowers our neighbour, in our 
estimation. To guard against dangers so great and so 
frequent, let these privileged souls remember that the 
great facility which they find in complying with all 
their duties, is not the effect of their own exertions, 
but a gift of God, for which they shall have to ac¬ 
count to him, and that “ unto whomsoever much is giv¬ 
en, of him much shall be required.” f Let them often 
say to themselves, in the language of St. Paul, “ What 
have we that we have not received ^ and if we have re¬ 
ceived, why do we glory, as if we had not received 
it.” I They should also consider that God, in bestow¬ 
ing upon them virtuous inclinations, and exempting them 
from almost every kind of temptation, wished to spare 
their natural weakness, which he knew to be unabife to 
stand greater trials. By such considerations, they will 

* Wig. viii. 19. f Luke, xii. 48. X 1 Cor. iv. 7. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


285 


be induced to cherish sentiments of humility with re¬ 
gard to themselves, of esteem for their neighbour, and 
of gratitude to God. 

III. We also meet with persons who experience 
none of those oppositions and repugnances, from the 
corruption of nature and evil inclinations, by which 
the most pious are sometimes disturbed in the dis¬ 
charge of their duties: not that they have conquer¬ 
ed them, or are naturally inclined to virtue ; but be¬ 
cause they never attempt to resist, and surmount them. 
Their situation is the more deplorable, as they are 
not aware of its danger: were they to pause, and 
carefully to compare their conduct with their duties, 
and not with their feelings and inclinations, they would 
soon be undeceived, and justly alarmed at the great 
contrast, which exists between them. They would 
then, become conscious of their slavery, and under¬ 
stand, at last, that they have evil inclinations to con¬ 
tend with, and passions to subdue. 

We read an anecdote, in the lives of the fathers of 
the desert, which may be introduced here, with pro¬ 
priety. A hermit, who was not remarkable for his 
piety, conversing one day with an old man, well ac¬ 
quainted with the principles and practice of a spiritual 
life, put him this question: How does it happen, said 
he, that I do not feel within myself those temptations 
and inward struggles, of which so many others com¬ 
plain — It is, answered the old man, because your 
interior is like a house, the doors of which are always 
left open, so that any one can enter into it, without the 
knowledge of the master. You neglect to watch over 
your heart and senses; evil thoughts meet with no oppo¬ 
sition from you; all the avenues lie open, they enter 
without a struggle. But, use more vigilance and cir-, 
cumspection, and you will soon have to carry on that 
internal warfare, which you do not now sustain, 


286 


THE PRACTICE OF 


SECT. XII. 


What progress soever we may have made in virtue^ we 
should not neglect the practice of mortification. 


St. Bernard says that a Christian who aims at per¬ 
fection, should always have the pruning-knife in his 
hand ; for, how far soever he may have gone in the 
practice of virtue, he will often have occasion to 
use it. Believe me, he adds, what has been cut, 
shoots forth again; what was sent away, returns; 
what was extinguished, will soon be rekindled; and 
that which is asleep, will awake on a sudden. You 
deceive yourself, if you he.liewe you have entirely de¬ 
stroyed vice in you — It is not enough to cut it off 
once, you must do it often; for you will always find 
something to correct, and retrench. The war in which 
a soldier is engaged, is short, says St. Ephrem, but 
that which we have to carry on, lasts all our life. 

The best land will not yield a plentiful harvest un¬ 
less it is properly cultivated ; and it will bring forth 
thorns and briais, when neglected and left to itself: so, 
in like manner, the most virtuous need cultivation : they 
are to, watch assiduously over themselves, both to pre¬ 
serve what they have acquired, and to “ go from vir¬ 
tue to virtue.” In other w'ords, they have to se¬ 
cure the reward to which they are entitled, by the 
same means by which they have deserved it — that is 
to say, by the practice of mortification, penance, *and 
self-deniaj; they have to obtain the gift of perseverance, 
by fervent prayer, and constant vigilance. “ Know you 
not,” says St. Baul, “ that they who run in the race, all 


CHRISTIAN rERFECTION. 


287 


run indeed, but one receiveth the prize ? So run that 
you may obtain. And every one that striveth for the 
mastety, refraineth himself from all things: and they in¬ 
deed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but 
we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as at 
an uncertainty ; I so fight, not as one beating the air; 
but I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection.” ^ 
To conclude : whether our natural inclinations be 
good, or bad •, whether we be in the state of sin, be¬ 
ginners, or far advanced in the career of virtue, we are 
all under an indispensable necessity of practising mor¬ 
tification. To subdue the passions, to curb the senses, 
“ to crucify the flesh,” f are positive precepts of the 
Gospel. Jesus Christ carried ins cross, and command¬ 
ed us to carry ours “ daily.” J To hope to obtain the 
rewards of him, whose commands we violate, is an idu- 
sion; and to pretend to be the disciples of one who was 
born in a stable, and died on a cross, wliilst we lead an 
unmortified life, is a palpable contradiction. 


SECT. XIII. 


JMeans which will facilitate the practice of mortification. 

Among the means by w'hich the practice of mortifi¬ 
cation may be rendered not only supportable, but even 
easy and pleasing to us, I will select four— the help of 
divine grace — the love of God — the hope of future 
retvards — the consideration of the sufferings of Jesus 
Christ. 

*1 Cor. ix. 24—27. f Gal. v. 24. + Luke, xix. 23. Mat x. 38. xvi. 24. 



288 


THE PRACTICE OE 


I. With the help of God’s grace, we can do easily 
whatever duty requires of us, however difficult and ar¬ 
duous it may be in itself. St. Paul, oppressed by the 
violence of his temptations, earnestly prayed to be freed 
from them — “ My grace is sufficient for thee,”* an¬ 
swered the Lord ; and with this divine assistance, he 
found himself so strong, that he afterwards wrote to the 
Philippians : “ I can do all things in him who strength- 
eneth me.” t — God does not leave us to our¬ 

selves, in the practice of mortification : he “ who is with 
us in tribulation,” | from what cause soever it may pro¬ 
ceed, will not forsake us in those struggles which ^ve 
experience within ourselves, when, to obey his precepts, 
we take up our cross, and endeavour to walk in his foot¬ 
steps. 

When Jesus Christ invites us to go to him in our 
troubles, he promises that “ he will refresh us.” When 
he bids us “ take up his yoke upon ourselves,” he as¬ 
sures us that it is “sweet,” and that “his burden is 
light.”|| Because, however hard and heavy they may ap¬ 
pear to those who consider only the weakness of human 
nature, they become sweet and light, when the Lord 
himself helps us to bear them. “ Let not the name of 
yoke terrify you,” says Fenelon. “ You bear the weight 
of it, but God bears it with you, and more than you ; 
for it is a yoke which must be borne by two, and it his. 
yoke and not yours. Jesus Christ makes us love this 
yoke — He supports man against himself, he withdraws 
him from his natural corruption, and makes him strong 
in spite of his weakness. O man of little faith ! what 
do you fear,^ Let God deal with you as he pleases,, re¬ 
ly entirely upon him — you will have to fight, but 
you will gain the victory, and he himsell, after having^^ 
fought on your side, will crown you with his ’•owns 
hands.” 


* 2 Cor. xii. 9. j Chap. iv. 13. I Ps. ic, 15. || Mat. xi. 28. 29. 30., 


CHRISTlilN PERFECTION. 


289 


2. The love of God is another most efficacious means 
cheerfully to persevere in the practice of mortification. 
He who loves God, finds nothing difficult in his service ; 
he either feels no trouble in what he does for him, or if 
he feels any, he loves it. Where there is love, says St. 
Austin, there is no labor, or if there be any, it is dear to 
us. Love God much, and not only you will find no dif¬ 
ficulty in what appears most arduous in self-denial and 
mortification, but you will derive great comfort, and 
true consolation from its constant practice. Love prompts 
us to obey the commandments, renders our* obedience 
meritorious, and makes the observance of them easy and 
pleasing to us : and it is on account of the facility which 
it gives us to perform the most laborious duties, that, ac¬ 
cording to St. Chrysostom, St. Paul calls it “ The fulfill¬ 
ing of the law.” * 

3, The hope of the reward which we shall obtain by 
persevering in the practice of mortification and self-de¬ 
nial, is a third means to soften their asperity and allevi¬ 
ate their burden. The view of future rewards support¬ 
ed and comforted the true servants of God in the sever¬ 
est trials and most bitter sufferings. Job bore with re¬ 
signation the multiplied strokes of affliction, by which 
his patience was tried, in the hope of a glorious resur¬ 
rection: “ I know,” he said, “that in the last day I shall 
rise out of the earth, and in my flesh I shall see my 
God — this my hope is laid up in my bosom.” f After 
Almighty God liad called Abram, and bid him leave his 
country, his kindred and his father’s house, J he encou¬ 
raged him by the hope of the recompense, which he pro¬ 
mised to him : “ Fear not,” he said, “ I am thy reward 
exceeding great.” § “ Moses chose rather to suffer per¬ 
secution with the people of God, than to have the plea¬ 
sure of sin for a time — for he looked unto the reward,” 
says St. Paul. || The royal prophet was animated to 

* Rom. xiii. 10. f Job xix. 25 . 26. 27. I Gen. xii. 1. 

§ Gen. xy. 1. 0 Heb. xi. 25. 26. 


25 


290 


THE PRACTICE OF 


the faithful observance of tlie commandments, by the 
same consideration; “ I have inclined my heart to do thy 
justifications — for the reward.”* Nor was the hope of 
future rewards considered by the saints of the Old Tes¬ 
tament only, as a strong motive to suffer all kinds of pri¬ 
vation and tribulations, it was also held out to Christ¬ 
ians, by Jesus Christ himself. In his sermon upon the 
mount, which may be said to contain the abridgement 
of his doctrine, after having called them “blessed,” who 
would cultivate the sublime virtues wddch he had come 
to teach his follow^ers, he induces us all to their prac¬ 
tice, by the promise of the eternal happiness to W’hich 
they lead : “ Blessed are the poor—the meek—they that 
mourn — they that hunger and thirst after justice — the 
merciful — the clean of heart — the peace-makers — 
they that suffer persecution — for theirs is the king¬ 
dom of heaven.” f And again: “ Blessed are you, 
when men shall revile you, and persecute you — re¬ 
joice, and be exceeding glad, because your reward is 
very great in heaven.” J 

Let therefore the practice of mortification cost us ever 
so much, be it ever so painful to nature ; it must needs 
appear truly desirable, when w'e bear in mind the end¬ 
less bliss with which it 'will be rewarded: “For our pre¬ 
sent tribulation w^orketh for us above measure exceed¬ 
ingly an eternal weight of glory.” § Were we duly to 
consider the value of the recompense promised to those 
who carry the cross daily, by leading a mortified life, w^e 
should be satisfied that we obtain it upon easy terms, 
and purchase heaven at a very low price. Among men, 
remarks St. Anthony, there is an equality observed, be¬ 
tween the thing bought and the price given for it, and 
each one is to give as much as he receives; but it Knot 
so in our dealings with God: he bestows eternal and in¬ 
valuable rewards, for short and often insignificant trou- 

* Pa. Cxviii. 112. f Mat. v. 3-10. fib. v. 11. 12. 

A 2 Cor. iv. 17. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 291 

bles; and ‘‘the sufferings of this present time are not 
wortliy to be compared with the glory to come.” * 

4. St. Paul furnishes us with a fourth means to in¬ 
duce and help us to practise mortification — it is the 
consideration of the sufferings of Jesus Christ: “ By pa¬ 
tience,” he says, “ let us run to the fight proposed un¬ 
to us; looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of our 
laitli, wlio, having joy proposed unto him, underwent 
the cross — Think diligently upon him, that you be 
not wearied, fainting in your minds.” f This means 
Avas used by all the saints with great fidelity, and 
to great advantage. For besides that there is nothing 
better calculated to induce us to lead a mortified life, 
than to propose to ourselves the example of Jesus 
Christ, suffering and dying for us; it is also an ex¬ 
ercise of great perfection, which adds a new value to 
all that we suffer, by the purity of the motive with 
which we suffer. 


SE CT. XIV. 


Three degrees of mortification. 


St. Bernard distinguishes three degrees of mortifica¬ 
tion, by which, as by so many steps, we may rise to the 
summit of perfcction. The first degree is that which is 
taught us by St. Peter, when he says: “Dearly belov* 
ed ! I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain 
yourselves from carnal desires, which war against the 


♦Rom. viii. 18. 


t Heb. xii. 1. 2, 3. 



292 


The practice op 


soul.”* We are all strangers here, and on our U'ay 
lo our heavenly country : “ For heie we have no perma¬ 
nent city ; but seek one to comef and “ while we are 
in the body, we are absent from the Lord.”J Let us, 
therefore, behave ourselves as travellers, who are at a 
great distance from home. A traveller, says St. Ber¬ 
nard, goes straight on, and tries to avoid all that might 
stop, or retard him in his journey. He does not lose 
his time in meddling with the concerns of those he 
meets on his way, but steadily hastens towards his des¬ 
tination : he is satisfied with a plain dress and homely 
fare, and takes nothing along with him that might delay 
his arrival. This is the example we should imitate in 
the course of our pilgrimage on this earth; notlung 
ought to stop us in our way; we should not care for any 
thing, but what is absolutely necessary to carry us to 
the end of our journey: “ Having food, and where¬ 
with to be covered, with these we should be content.” § 
Our hearts and warmest affections should be “ there, 
where our treasure is;” we should, after the example of 
David, bewail the length of our exile, and cherish the 
sentiment which he expressed, when he said; “Wo 
is me that my sojourning is prolonged!” || 

To this first degree of mortification, which is un¬ 
doubtedly of great perfection, St. Bernard adds a se¬ 
cond more elevated. Although a traveller, says he, 
makes no long stay in the places through which he has 
to pass, yet he sometimes has the curiosity to know 
what is going on ; and to gratify thif curiosity he pro¬ 
longs his journey, and delays his return. It might 
even happen, that he w^ould be so delighted with tlie 
countries through which he would be travelling, as to 
be delayed for a considerable time in them, and, per¬ 
haps, never to return home. But, it will be asked,'who 
can be more disengaged from the world, than he who is 

* 1 Pet. ii. 11. fHeb. xiii. 14. Cor. y. 6. 

§ 1 Tim. vi. 8. 1| Ps. cxix. 6. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


293 


in it as a traveller? — it is he, who is in it as a 
dead man. For, a traveller is still in want of some¬ 
thing or other to prosecute his journey; he must 
take time to eat, to rest himself, and to provide va¬ 
rious things, without which he would not be able to 
reach his destination — now all this, stops and de¬ 
lays him, more or less. But a dead man does not 
feel the want of any thing; not even the want of 
a grave. He is equally indifferent to either praise 
or censure; flattery and detraction sound alike in his 
ears. This is the high degree of mortification, to 
which St. Paul alluded, when he wrote to the Colos- 
sians: ‘‘You are dead; and your life is hidden with 
Christ in God.” * It is not enough, therefore, that 
we look upon ourselves as travellers in this world, 
but we should endeavour to be in it as dead men — 
Would you like to know how this can be done? 
look to a dead man: he does not see, neither does he 
hear, or speak; he is not elated with pride, nor mov¬ 
ed by anger. If then, you look into the conduct of 
such persons as are not under your charge, listen 
to flattery, speak in your own praise, and are easi¬ 
ly disturbed and provoked by what others may think 
or say of you, you are not dead to the world. Hap¬ 
py death ! exclaims St. Bernard, or rather happy life ! 
which preserves us pure, and immaculate amid the 
contagion of the age. 

This second degree of mortification seems to be 
the highest to which we might aspire, yet St. Paul 
teaches us another still higher, when he says: “ The 
world is crucified to me, and I to the world.” f — 
That is, pleasures, honors, riches, esteem, and applause 
are all a cross to me; on the contrary, what the world 
dreads, and regards as an evil, that I consider as a 
blessing. He who has arrived at this perfection, is not 

* Chap. iii. 3. t Gal. vi. 14, 

25 * 


294 


THE PRACTICE OP 


satisfied, as the traveller, provided he is not retarded in 
his journey by the enjoyment of the good things of 
this life, nor is he, as the dead man, merdy indifferent 
about them; but he goes further — he views them as a 
misfortune: he ‘‘glories in the cross of Jesus Christ,”* 
and “ exceedingly abounds with joy in all his tribula¬ 
tions.” t 


* Gal. vi. 14. t 2 Cor. vii. 4. 


*• 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 


295 


CHAPTEH XIIL 


On humility. 


SECT. I. 


The excellence^ and necessity of humility. 


The whole life of Christ, remarks St. Austin, 
was a continual instruction on all moral virtues; yet, 
his humility is what he particularly proposed to our 
imitation: “Learn of me,” he said, “because I am 
meek and humble of heart.” * To understand the 
excellence of this virtue, and the need we have of 
it, it is enough to consider that the Son of God 
came down from heaven to teach it to us, and to 
recommend its practice, by kis own example, from 
the day on which he was borii in a stable and 


• Mat. xi. 29. 




296 


THE PRACTICE OP 


cradled in a manger, till he was nailed to the cross, 
and died between two thieves. But why such hu¬ 
miliation, O Lord! in so great a majesty ? exclaims 
St. Bernard,—it was, he answers in the words of 
the psalmist, “ that man may no more presume to 
magnify himself upon earth.”* At all times, it was 
unbecoming for man to yield to pride and vanity, 
adds the same saint; but, after the humiliations of 
Christ, it would be insufferable impudence. The 
Son of God took the form of a servant, chose to 
be humbled and despised—and, shall I, who am no¬ 
thing but dust and ashes, wish to be honoured and 
respected ^ 

Humility is preferable to the gift of miracles — 
When we hear Christ tell his disciples “ To learn 
from him,” we are naturally anxious to know what 
he wishes to teach them: It is not, says St. Austin, 
to make the world, to create all things, visible and 
invisible, to raise the dead to life, and perform the 
most wonderful miracles—but, “ that he is meek and 
humble of heart.” 

The necessity of humility is so great, that, with¬ 
out it, we cannot hope to advance one step in the 
way of perfection. St. Austin says, that unless it 
precedes, accompanies, and follows, all our good ac¬ 
tions, pride will soon make us lose the merit of them; 
and the better they are in themselves, the greater 
will be our danger. Bad actions are the matter of 
other sins, but good actions are the matter of pride. 

It is easy for us, with the help of God’s grace, to 
guard against other vices; for they are characterised 
by a certain deformity, which marks them out; but 
pride hides itself, mingles with our good works* and 
deprives us of the merit we might derive from them. 

Humility is called, by St. Cyprian, “the ground¬ 
work of holiness;” by St. Jerom, “the first virtue 


*Ps. ix.42. Vulg, X. 18. Heb. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 297 

of Christians;” by St. Gregory and St. Bernard, “the 
parent, the mistress, the root, the source, the foun¬ 
dation and guardian of all virtues”—so that, to trea¬ 
sure up other virtues, without humility, is to gather 
dust before the wind, whicli the first puft* will blow 
away. Do you aspire to great things, says St. Aus¬ 
tin, begin with those that are little. The liiglier you 
intend to raise a building, tlie deeper should you 
lay the foundation. The same rule is to be follow¬ 
ed with regard to the spiritual edifice of your per¬ 
fection: let it be erected upon the solid foundation 
of profound humility, and it will rise to the great¬ 
est height to which it can attain in this world, un¬ 
til it be completed in the next. 


SECT. II. 


The same subject continued — Enumeration of the prin^ 
cipal virtues, showing how they are all Jounded on 
humility. 

The truth of the maxim of the saints, that humil¬ 
ity is the foundation of all other virtues, can easily be 
illustrated by considering the nature and object of the 
principal among them. 

In the first place. Faith stands in need of humility. For, 
W’ith the exception of infants, into whose souls it is in¬ 
fused by baptism, without any act of theirs, faith re¬ 
quires an humble and docile spirit, according to those 
words of St. Paul, “ bringing into captivity every un¬ 
derstanding to the obedience of Christ;”* and the spirit 


* 2 Cor. X. 15. 



298 


THE PRACTICE OE 


of pride is so great an obstacle to our receiving it, that 
Christ said to the Jews: “ How can you believe, who 
receive glory one from another; and the glory which is 
from God alone, you do not seek?” * But if humility is 
so necessary to receive faith, it is not less so, to pre¬ 
serve it; and the holy fathers are of 0})inion that 
pride is the source of all heresies. This, St. Paul 
himself insinuates, when he says: “Know also this, 
that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times: men 
shall be lovers of themselves — haughty, proud, puff- 
«ed up — always learning, and never attaining to the 
knowledge of truth — men reprobate as to faith — 
erring, and driving into error.” f 

Hope also is supported by humility : the humble know 
their weakness, and their incapacity to do good without 
the help of God ; therefore they look to him for assist¬ 
ance in all their wants, and rely entirely upon him, both 
-for this and for the next world. Diffidence of ourselves, 
which is the necessary consequence of humility, in¬ 
creases our confidence in our God ; and we are thus led 
to establish our hope on its true and essential foun¬ 
dation— the aid of grace, the merits of Jesus Christ, 
and his promises. 

Charity, which consists in loving God above all 
things, is greatly increased by liumility ; for he who 
is truly humble looks upon every thing he has, as a 
gift he received from the liberality of God, and is, 
by this consideration, prompted to love his benefactor. 
“ What is man,” said Job, “ that thou shouldst mag¬ 
nify him? or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?” J 
^J'he more conscious we are of our unworthiness, the 
more we feel ourselves obliged to love Him, whose 
“ mercy follows us, all the days of our life,” and 
will reward our labors and perseverance with “ cf nev¬ 
er fading crown of glory.” As regards Charity to¬ 
wards our neighbour, it is easy to understand how 

♦ John, V. 44. t 2 Tim. iii. 1-13. J Job, vii. 17. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 




much humility contributes to facilitate its practice. 
For it removes the most ordinary causes of disunion 
among men, such as self-love, pride, rash judgment, 
and jealousy, which are all incompatible with Chris¬ 
tian humility. 

Patience too, of which we have so great a need 
in our intercourse with our fellow-men, and in the 
various trials of this life, is the natural effect of hu¬ 
mility. For, humility, by showing us our faults and 
many imperfections, induces us to bear with those of 
others, and to submit, with calm resignation, to whatev¬ 
er God may ordain, either for our probation, or for 
our chastisement. Under the severest strokes of af¬ 
fliction, the man who is truly humble will say, with 
the prophet Micheas, ‘‘ I will bear the wrath of the 
Lord, because I have sinned against him.”* A proud 
man is apt to be easily provoked to anger, for he 
always imagines that he is not treated with the re¬ 
spect and attention to which he is entitled. But an hum¬ 
ble man is always satisfied with the treatment he meets 
with, and however bad it might be, he thinks it is 
no more than he deserves on account of his sins and 
daily imperfections — “he humbles his heart, and en¬ 
dures.”! 

Peace of mind is particularly promoted by humil¬ 
ity. It is the reward which Jesus Christ promises to 
those who will learn it from him, and practise it after 
his example: “ Learn of me,” he says, “ because I 
am meek and humble of heart; and you shall find rest 
to your souls.” J Be humble, and you will enjoy peace 
with yourselves, and with your neighbour; on the 
contrary, “Among the proud, there are always conten¬ 
tions.” § 

Purity is necessarily based on humility, and it re¬ 
ceives from it its brightest ornament. St. Bernard does 

• Mich. vii. 9. f Eccl. ii. 2. | Mat. xi. 29. § Prov. xiii. 10. 


300 


THE PRACTICE OP 


not hesitate to say, that, without humility, not even the 
purity of Mary could have been pleasing to God. 

Prayer, without which salvation is not to be obtained, 
derives its efficacy from humility : “ The prayer of him 
that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds.”* “ The 
prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased 
thee.” t “ He hath had regard to the prayer of the 
humble; and he hath not despised their petition.” :j: 

By extending this enumeration further, it might ea¬ 
sily be shown that all virtues are indispensably connect¬ 
ed with humility; so that, if you wish to have a sure 
means to acquire them, and to arrive at Christian 
perfection, take this — Be humble. 


SECT. III. 

The first degree of humilily. 


St. Lawrence Justinian says that humility is a virtue 
with regard to which we are often mistaken, and 
that no one knows well what it is, unless he has 
received it from God. You think, he adds, that it 
consists in saying that you are a great sinner, a 
wretched creature, &c. If it were so, it would be 
then very easy to acquire it; and in fact, we would 
all be humble; for we all hold this language; though, 
in truth, many speak in this manner merely through ha¬ 
bit, and without any real sentiment of humility. You 
also imagine, that it consists in the plainness of your 

• Eccl. xxxr. 21. f Judith, ix. 16. j pg. ci. 18. 



CHRISTIAK PERFECTION. 


301 


dress and manners ; but in this, you are again mis¬ 
taken ; for, external things, though they may greatly 
contribute to humility, do not, however, necessarily 
prove its existence. Many, says St. Jerom, follow 
the shadow of humility, but there are few who follow 
the reality. It is easy to walk with our eyes cast 
down, to speak with an humble tone of voice, to ex¬ 
press sorrow for our sins, &c. But these are equiv¬ 
ocal, and often deceitful signs. Let us lay aside affec¬ 
tation in words, and behaviour ; it is patience, which 
shows a man to be truly humble. 

St. Bernard defines humility A virtue by which, 
from a perfect knowledge of ourselves, we become 
contemptible in our own estimation. The first degree of 
humility, according to St. Bonaventure, consists in hav¬ 
ing a low opinion of oneself; and the only means to ac¬ 
quire it, is to know oneself. Therefore, the first 
thing we have to do in order to become humble, is 
to endeavour to know ourselves well. 


SECT. IV. 


The knowledge of oneself is the foundation of humility. 

Let us dwell on the consideration of what we are, 
and deeply penetrate into the knowledge of our weak¬ 
ness and misery. This knowledge once acquired, we 
shall soon be humble; for we shall then plainly see 
that we have nothing to be proud of Humility is 
founded on truth: it proceeds from the knowledge, 
not of what others may think us, but of what we 
really are. 

In the first place, what are we with regard to the 

26 



302 


THE PRACTICE OF 


body ? Its origin and destiny are distinctly marked 
by our maker : “ Dust thou art, and into dust thou 

shalt return.” * In the meantime, what are we to 
expect ? “ Man,” answers Job, “ living for a short 

time, is filled with many miseries.”f And again: 
‘‘ I have said to rottenness, Thou art my father ; to 
worms, My mother and my sister.” J “ My substance 
is as nothing before thee, O Lord !” § exclaims the 
royal prophet. ‘‘ All flesh is grass,” says Isaias, “ and 
all the glory thereof as the flower of the field. The 
grass is withered, and the flower is fallen ; because the 
Spirit of the Lord hath blown upon it — All nations are 
before him as if they had no being at all, and are 
counted to him as nothing, and vanity.” || Hence, St. 
Paul concludes, that, “If any man think himself to be 
something, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth him¬ 
self.” ^ Before God made us, we were nothing; we 
have, in no manner, contributed to our existence — 
“ Thy hands have made me, and formed me,” says 
the psalmist. ** “It is he,” says St. Paul, who giv- 
eth to r 11 life, and breath, and all things — in him 
we live, and we move, and we are.” tt Therefore, 
of ourselves, we are nothing. 

Let us proceed in the examination of ourselves ■—But, 
can we go further.^ can there be room for investigation 
beyond nothing.? Yes, beneath this depth, there is still 
a lower depth — there is the depth of sin. Within the 
whole range of creation there is nothing so despica¬ 
ble in the sight of God, as a man in the state of mor¬ 
tal sin. What are you, then, if you be guilty of any.? 
Has God forgiven you.? — Be it so — But still, you 
once were unfaithful to him, you once transgressed his 
laws, revolted against him, and said, in your h^art 
at least, “ I will not serve.” —“ Know then, and see, 
that it is an evil and a bitter thing for you, to have 

• Gen. iii. 19. fJob, xiv. 1. J ib. xvii. 14. § Ps. xxxviii. 6. 

• Isaias, xl. 6. 7. 17. ^ Gal. vi. 3. ** Ps. cxviii. 73. 

it Acts, xvii. 25.28. H jerem. ii. 20. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


303 


left the Lord your God ” * You hope that God has 
forgiven you — I will not pretend to shake the foun¬ 
dation of that hope ; but, admitting that you may have 
a moral certainty of your being in the state of grace, 
1 shall ask, whether you can obtain any certainty of hav¬ 
ing fully atoned for your sins — Of this you can have 
no certainty whatever — and yet, you cannot enjoy eter¬ 
nal bliss before you have fully satisfied God’s justice, 
either in this world, or in the next. 

These are awful considerations. They should 
deeply impress upon our minds the sentiment of our 
unworthiness — All our hope, as St. Austin speaks, 
is in the great mercy of God, who, when he rewards 
our merits, rewards his own gifts — Nor is our crown 
secured to us : “ Our adversary, the devil, as a roaring 
lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour f 
nnd “ Through many tribulations, we must enter into the 
kingdom of God.” J 


SECT. V. 


The second degree of humility. 


The second degree of humility consists in wishing 
that others would view us in the same light, in which 
the first degree places us in our own estimation; or, 
to use the words of St. Bonaventure, in loving to 
be unknown, and despised. 

Difficult as it is, this degree is a natural conse¬ 
quence of the first; for if we had a low opinion of 


* Jerem. ii. 19. 


t 1 Pet. y. 8. 


I Acts, xiy. 21. 



304 


THE PRACTICE OP 


ourselves, the love of truth alone should suffice to 
make us wish that others would have the same opi¬ 
nion 'of us. To facilitate the practice of this high de¬ 
gree of humility, the saints distinguish four parts in 
it, which are as so many steps, by which we may 
gradually rise to its perfection. 

The first step is, not to seek the praise, or esteem 
of the world ; but to shun it, as far as duty permits 
— never saying or doing any thing, with a view to 
obtain applause, or commendation. 

The second step consists in bearing patiently with 
the want of regard, respect, or esteem, shown us by 
others, and, in general, with whatever may be to us 
a source of shame and humiliation. It is the advice 
of the Wise Man : ‘‘ Son,” he says, “ take all that 
shall be brought upon thee; and in thy sorrow, en¬ 
dure ; and in thy humiliation, keep patience ; for gold 
and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in 
the furnace of humiliation.” * 

When we have ascended the third step, we feel 
no pleasure nor satisfaction in being praised or esteemed 
by others, but we are utterly insensible to both. 
The proud are always delighted when they receive 
praise or applause, whether they deserve them or 
not; for they do not care about what they are in real¬ 
ity, and before God, but merely about what they are 
thought to be by men. But he who is truly humble, 
dislikes to hear himself praised: He fears, says St. 
Gregory, lest, if the praises he receives are unmerited, 
they may turn to his judgment and condemnation be¬ 
fore God ; and lest, if he deserves them, they may be 
his only recompense. Thus, praise, which renders 
the proud more vain and ostentatious, causes the Iffim- 
ble to think less of themselves, and wish to be forgot¬ 
ten by the world. 

The fourth step, which leads to the perfection of 
humility, is to wish to be despised, and to rejoice in be- 


» Eccl. ii. 4. 5. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


305 


ing insulted and affronted. St. Bernard remarks, that 
there are two sorts of humility — one, in the un¬ 
derstanding, by which, considering our misery and 
wretchedness, we despise ourselves, and think that 
we deserve to be despised by all men — the other, 
in the will, by which, we are desirous to be actual¬ 
ly despised and treated with contempt. Jesus Christ, 
adds the same saint, could not have the first kind of 
humility; for “ being in the form of God, and thinking 
it no robbery himself to be equal to God,” * he could 
not despise himself, nor think himself worthy of con¬ 
tempt. But he possessed the second — thai which re¬ 
sides in the will and heart — when “he debased himself, 
taking the form of a servant,” | when, through love for 
us, he was “ despised,” J and became “ the reproach 
of men, and the outcast of the people.” § As for us, 
we ought to possess both ; in man, the first, with¬ 
out the second, is false and deceitful. 

And let us not plead an imaginary impossibility, as 
an excuse from aiming at this perfection. If we wish 
it, says St. Austin, we can, with the assistance of grace, 
reach to its summit; for, when Christ tells us “ to 
learn from him, because he is meek and humble of 
heart,” he evidently teaches us that we ought, and, 
consequently, are able, to imitate him in the practice of 
these virtues. O Teacher and Lord of mortals who 
have swallowed death out of the cup of pride ! what 
are we come to learn from thee } — “ That I am meek 
and humble of heart”—What are “all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge, that are hidden in thee,” || 
reduced to this ^ Is it, then, so great a thing to be lit¬ 
tle, that we canaot learn it, unless we are taught 
by thee.^ Yes, adds the same saint, to make oneself 
little, is a thing so great and so difficult, that man would 
never have been able to accomplish it, had not God 
himself shown him the example ; for there is nothing so 

• Philip, ii. 6. f id. ibid. J I^aias, liii. 3. § Pg. xxi. 7, 

U Col. ii. 3. 


26 


306 


THE PRACTICE OF 


deeply rooted in the human heart, than the desire of 
praise, and esteem. But, if the remedy offered to us in 
the incarnation of the Son of God, who “ was made 
flesh, and dwelt among us,” * does not cure our 
pride, I know not what else can cure it. 


SECT. VI. 


The third degree of humility. 


The third degree of humility consists in taking no 
pride in the spiritual gifts which God has bestowed 
upon us, and in referring entirely to him, both the 
good which they enable us to accomplish, and the 
honor which may thereby accrue to us. It teaches 
us to distinguish what we are by the mercy of God, 
from what we are by the corruption of our own na¬ 
ture : not merely to know that, of ourselves, we can¬ 
not do any good towards our salvation, but to act ac¬ 
cording to this knowledge on every occasion. The 
knowledge itself, is easily acquired — it is an article of 
faith, which we have been taught from our infancy 
— but the practice is difficult, and its constant ap¬ 
plication, in our conduct, is a great perfection. It is 
a rare and sublime virtue, says St. Bernard, to do great 
things and to be ignorant of our own greatness ; to be 
considered as a saint by others, and to look upon our¬ 
selves as sinners ; to be admired by all, and contempti¬ 
ble in our own estimation. 

This is what St. Chrysostom and St. Bernard particu¬ 
larly admired in the Apostles, and many other great 


John, i. 14. 



chuistian perfection 


307 


saints, \pho, whilst they had received the greatest gifts 
from God — raised the dead to life, and performed 
daily an infinity of other miracles — still entertained 
a profound sense of their nothingness, and regarded 
themselves as the unworthy instruments of God’s mer- 

Those who have arrived at the degree of humility of 
which we speak, use every means in their power to 
acquire virtue, to resist temptations, and to succeed in 
their pious undertakings ; but, after they have done all 
that depended upon them, they consider themselves 
“ as unprofitable servants,” * rely upon God alone for 
the success, and refer it all to him. Thus, they offer 
him the most acceptable act of thanksgiving for the gra¬ 
ces and gifts, which they have received from his liberal¬ 
ity— that “ sacrifice of praise,” which he says “ shall 
glorify him.” | 


SECT. VII. 

Humility is a sure means to obtain the special protec¬ 
tion^ and graces of God, 


Speaking of wisdom, Solomon says that all good 
things came to him together with her.” J He who 
is truly humble, can justly say the same of humility. 
And, in effect, as we read in the Book of Proverbs, 
Where humility is, there also is wisdom.” § This 
truth is, moreover, plainly and distinctly taught us, by 
innumerable texts of holy scripture, in which God pro¬ 
mises to bestow his assistance and choicest gifts, on the 
humble, tbe little, and the poor of spirit. 

* Luke, xvii. 10. f Ps. xlix. 23. \ Wis. vii. 11. 


§ Chap. xi. 2. 



308 


THE PRACTICE OP 


Take the following: 

“ To whom shall 1 have respect,” says the Lord in 
Isaias, “ but to him that is poor and little, and of a 
contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my w^ords ?” * 
God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the 
humble.” f 

“ Thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring 
down the eyes of the proud.” X 

“ The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite 
heart; and he will save the humble of spirit,” § 

“ A contrite, and humbled heart, O God ! thou wilt 
not despise.” || 

“ He hath regard to the prayer of the humble; and 
he hath not despised their petition.” ^ 

“ Every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled : 
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” ** 

God is high, says St. Austin — you humble yourself, 
and he comes down to you — you exalt yourself, and 
he withdraws from you. And why.?—because “ The 
Lord is high, and looketh on the low; and the high he 
knoweth afar off”ft—because “Great is the power of 
God alone; and he is honoured by the humble.” JJ 


SECT. Till. 

Humility supplies what is wanting to us in other re¬ 
spects, and averts the humiliation and chastisement, 
which come from God. 


It is a great folly, says St. Bernard, to place confi¬ 
dence in any thing else than humility; for “ we all of- 

• Chap. Ivi. 2. f 1 Pet. v. 5. James, iv. 6. Prov. iii. 34. 

+ Ps. xvii. 28. § Ps. xxxiii. 19. || Ps. 1. 19. H ib. ci. 18. 

** Luke, xiv. 11. xviii. 14. ff Ps.cxxxvii 6. Eccl. iii. 21. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


309 


fend God in many things,” * and are obliged to plead 
guilty before him. If man will contend with God,” 
says Job, “ he cannot answer him one for a thous¬ 
and.” ■j* What else can we do then, than to have re¬ 
course to humility, and supply thereby what is wanting 
to us in other respects ^ If your conscience is not 
pure enough, and your fervor abates, endeavour to 
make up the deficiency, by a salutary shame, and an 
humble acknowledgment of your imperfection. 

Let us humble ourselves, said Abbot .Tohn, to his 
disciples, in order to secure our salvation. If our 
weak constitution prevents us from applying to hard la¬ 
bor, let us at least apply ourselves to the practice 
of humility, and, by this means, we shall be as far 
advanced as those who are able to work much. If after 
having, for a long time, “ wearied yourselves in the 
way of iniquity,”! you find your health too delicate 
to walk in the narrow paths of penance, austerities 
and sufferings, enter the road of humility: you could 
not choose a safer one. 

Humility is not only a necessary means to preserve^all 
other virtues, as we have remarked elsewhere, and n 
supplement of what may be wanting to their perfection ; 
but it averts the humiliation with which God punish¬ 
es the proud ; Every one that exalteth himself shall 
be humbled.” § Let us, therefore, humble ourselves, 
lest God should humble us. Behold ! I come against 
thee, O proud one ! saith the Lord, the God of hosts—- 
The proud one shall fall, he shall fall down, and there 
shall be none to lift him up.” || 

t Chap. ix. 3. f Wisd. v. 7. § Luke, xiv. 11. 

II Jerein. 1. 31 32. 


* James, iii. 2. 


SIO 


THE PRACTICE OF 


SECT. IX. 


Reflections on the practice of humility. 


We love humility in others,’’ says Bourdaloue, 
“ when shall we endeavour to acquire it ourselves ? 
w'hy are we so unwilling to practise it ? Here is 
the explanation of this mystery, which I may call a 
mystery of pride and iniquity. Humility, in others, 
prompts them to place themselves beneath us; and 
this is what we like : humility, in us, w^ould prompt us 
to place ourselves beneath others ; and this is w^hat \ve 
tic hot like.” 

“ It is true, we speak of ourselves with great modes¬ 
ty and humility, and blush at the praises wdrich are 
given us — All this is very edifying. But, let any one 
find fault with us, or show us by his conduct that be 
thinks little of us, w’e are immediately offended, v/e 
justify ourselves in an angry tone, and retaliate with 
bitterness. Ho\v much humility and pride, are here 
combined together! Nor is it difficult to account for 
it. To speak modestly of oneself, is only apparent hu¬ 
miliation, and often a means to be raised in the esti¬ 
mation of others; but to be thought little of, and cen¬ 
sured, is real humiliation, and therefore becomes insuf¬ 
ferable.” 

“ Let us humble ourselves, but let us do it sincerely 
and earnestly. Then, our humility will be preferable 
to talent, to success, and even to the gift of mifacles; 
for, it will be a safer way to salvation. Many, in the 
pursuit of the most laudable works, have been lost, 
by the eclat of their talents, of their success, and of 
their miracles: but, no one was ever lost, by the senti¬ 
ments which true and solid humility inspires.” 


CrtRiSTIAN PERFECTION. 


311 


“ Thus, if you are not able to be recollected during 
mental prayer — humble yourself for the spiritual dry¬ 
ness of your heart, and the perpetual wanderings of 
your mind. If your health does not permit you 
practise austerities and bodily mortification — humble 
yourself for the care you are obliged to take of it, and 
the mitigations, to which you are compelled to have re¬ 
course, By this means, humility will supply, before 
God, the want of such good works as you cannot per¬ 
form ; and this supplement will, unquestionably, be more 
meritorious than these good w^orks themselves. For, 
what is most difficult in the Christian religion, is not 
to apply to mental prayer, or mortification, but to 
humble oneself” 

“ With a little more humility, we should often spare 
ourselves much trouble, and humiliation. When it hap¬ 
pens that w^e forget ourselves, and speak or act incon¬ 
siderately, we commit a fault — were we to acknowledge 
it immediately, and express our regret for it, the thing 
would go no farther. But, if we endeavour to excuse 
and justify ourselves, if we argue and contend with 
those who admonish us, and wish to make us sensible 
of our error; the consequence is, that they soon become 
offended by our pride and obstinacy, and think it their 
duty to mortify and humble us.” 

“ A father of the church says that the remembrance of 
our sins is infinitely more profitable to us, than the re¬ 
membrance of our good w'orks. For the remembrance 
of our good works is calculated to inspire us with 
pride, whilst the remembrance of our sins serves to 
humble us. Whence we must draw this two-fold infer¬ 
ence— To practise virtue, and then put a veil over our 
eyes, not to see the good we have done — To shun 
* sin, and when we have had the misfortune to fall in¬ 
to it, to draw the veil from our eyes, that we may 
always see the evil we have committed. Thus, we 
shall be virtuous, without danger; and we shall derive 
some benefit, even from our faults. ” 


S12 


THE PRACTICE OF 


St. Chrysostom calls pride a folly, and after quoting 
thetextof Isaias, “ The fool will speak foolish things,” * 
he adds: Will you hear some of the follies to which 
pride has led presumptuous mortals } “ My hand,” said 

the king of Assyria, “ hath found the strength of the 
people as a nest; and as eggs are gathered, that 
are left, so have I gathered all the earth, and there 
was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, 
or made the least noise,” t Again: “ I will ascend 
into heaven,” said the king of Babylon; “ I will 
exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in 
the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north. 
1 will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will 
be like the Most High.”:}: Not only do the proud 
speak like mad men, but they must also be spoken to, 
as mad men, whom we dare not contradict. The only 
way to please them, and to gain their good will, is to 
praise, and flatter them. To be candid with them, and 
endeavour to undeceive them, would be dangerous for 
us, and useless to them. Solomon alluded to this evil, 
when he said : “ I saw the wicked buried, who also 
when they were yet living were in the holy place, and 
were praised in the city, as men of just works; but 
this also is vanity.” § 


SECT. X. 

Solid and true greatness of Christian humility, [j 

Some persons, otherwise w^ll inclined, entertain very 
erroneous notions concerning humility, and consider it a 


•Isaias, xxxii. 6. fib. x. 14. Jib. xiv. 13. 44. 
§ Eccl. viii. 10. II From Bourdaloue. 



CH&ISTIAN Pfi&FECTlON. 


315 


virtue suitable only for narrow and weak minds. To 
undeceive them — let us examine with them the nature 
of humility, the principles on which it is foundedj the 
rules by which it is guided — let us show them the 
weakness of which it cures us, the superiority it 
imparts over the ordinary maxims of the world, the 
victories it achieves, the enterprises it executes — 
and they will be compelled to acknowledge, that no 
virtue indicates more clearly than this, both strength of 
understanding and firmness of character; that far from 
contracting, it expands the mind ; that far from abat¬ 
ing, it animates courage ; that it preserves us from innu¬ 
merable acts of meanness, innumerable relaxations of 
principle; that it prompts to the greatest designs, and 
enables us to accomplish them with unyielding constan¬ 
cy; in a word, that it unites all the characteristics of 
true and solid greatness. 

There is, it is true, a certain natural timidity, which 
renders some men gentle, docile, and submissive; which 
prevents them from interfering in any thing of import¬ 
ance; which seals their lips, and fetters their hands, 
when duty bids them speak, and act. But this is not 
humilit}". It is pusillanimity, an excessive diffidence, 
which proceeds from temperament alone, and under 
which there often lurks a great deal of puerile pride. 
Thus, when those persons ought to speak, they are mute; 
because they fear they may speak inappropriately, and 
expose themselves to ridicule: whentliey ought to adopt 
a resolution and maintain it, they remain inactive ; be¬ 
cause they fear they shall not succeed, and they dread 
the confusion of failure: when they ought to resist 
an encroachment, and assert their just rights, they 
give way, through apprehension of defeat and some 
consequent advantage to a rival. 

Such is not the humility which the Son of God 
has taught us, and all the saints have practised after 
their Divine Master. I mean that humility, which, 
by the lights of reason and religion, discovers to us 
our nothingness, and depth of misery; which inspires 


S14 


THE PRACTICE OP 


US with a holy self-contempt, and a vivid conception 
of our natural incapacity to do good ; which makes 
us ascribe to ourselves nothing but sin, and refer to 
God alone the glory of every thing w-hich he enables 
us to do by his grace; which causes us to regard 
with indifference all the distinctions and honors of the 
world, because, through their brightest lustre, we dis¬ 
cern their illusion and vanity, and know besides that 
they are opposed to the condition of Jesus Christ through¬ 
out the whole course of bis mortal life ; which, omit¬ 
ting all emulation with our neighbour, induces us to ho¬ 
nour him, to hold with cheerfulness a lower rank than 
he, and remain neglected and obscure whilst others are 
in high esteem and splendor; which, finally, relies ex¬ 
clusively on God, and wdth confidence the more assured 
and firm as we have the strongest testimony that he de¬ 
lights to succour the weak, and exert his mercy and om¬ 
nipotence in favor of the little, h'uch is Christian hu¬ 
mility, a virtue to form great characters, and perfect 
them. 

I. Let us in the first place, consider from what hu- 
milty delivers us, what it corrects in us, and against 
what it preserves us. Every one knows to what acts 
of littleness, not to say baseness, pride and ambition 
degrade us. It is ditficult to imagine a man more con¬ 
temptible, a character more vile, than an ambitious 
person who abandons himself to the passion of self-ag¬ 
grandisement, and is determined to gratify it, at any cost, 
or a proud man, infatuated with his supposed good qua¬ 
lities, and s^vayed by boundless desires of being applaud¬ 
ed In the world. 

Follow, for example, in imagination the ambitious 
man through the path which he considers the road to 
fortune. Is there a step so humiliating to whjeh he 
does not stoop, if he thinks it will conduct him to 
his object? In the hope of mounting, to what does 
he not descend ? Is there a complaisance so servile, 
to which he does not subject himself to conciliate 
the favor of one person or another? Is there inso-. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 315 

lence, contempt, or rebuff, which he will not sustain 
to engage this one to his interest, or secure the pro¬ 
tection of that one? What assiduities! what supple¬ 
ness ! what flatteries! He blushes at nothing, provided 
he can attain his end, and succeed in his intrigues— 
and what intrigues? often the most criminal, and unprin¬ 
cipled, in which are violated all the laws of justice, and 
of honor, in which are employed artifice, calumny, fraud, 
and treason. He would regard them with horror were 
he not possessed by a passion which blinds him, and 
if he judged of them in his right senses. 

Observe next, the conduct of the proud man ; contem¬ 
plate tlie countless conceits, alike frivolous and silly, he 
revolves within Ids mind; examine the foundation of his 
secret joys, his triumphs, his keenest sufferings, and bit¬ 
terest disgusts. Is lie occupied with any thing but 
himself, his own merits, and endowments? Is there 
an advantage so trivial in which he does not glory, and 
which does not, in his opinion, invest him with envia¬ 
ble pre-eminence? Is an}' thing well done, if not by 
idmselt ? Any tfdng well conceived, if not in accord¬ 
ance with his opinion? Add to tliis, the favorable tes¬ 
timony he perpetually is bearing to himself; the nau¬ 
seous and disgusting boastings, with which he wearies 
all who will listen to him ; the love of flattery, gross 
as it may be ; the zest with which he receives it, and 
the delight he derives from it, insomuch that to praise 
him is sufficient to obtain from him any thing. And on 
the other hand, consider the sensibility he manifests 
to a word which might offend, the agitations into 
which he is thrown, the despondency to which he 
sinks, the jealousies he entertains, the bitterness of 
soul he experiences, the suspicions and umbrage he 
conceives from a gesture, a glance, a word dropped 
by chance and without design. To omit a thousand 
other instances, is there any thing so coi\tr^cted as a 
soul of disposition like this ? 

Now of all those weaknesses there is none, from 
which Christian humility is not exempt A truly humble 




tHB PRACTICE OP 


Christian, is one who has no other views than those of 
God, and his adorable Providence — who is correct in 
all his ways, and incapable of adopting measures con¬ 
trary to the laws of probity, and truth — who is disin¬ 
terested, and religious in his voluntary humiliations — 
the enemy of flattery, and all mercenary, or forced 
subjection — equitable in his judgements, free from pre¬ 
judice or envy — who acknowledges merit wherever it 
exists, and considers it a duty to reverence, and exalt it,? 
even to his own detriment — who is superior to all hu¬ 
man respect, and the vain opinions of the world; be¬ 
cause he seeks not to please the world, and regards it 
as nothing. Hence he is always the same — in humilia¬ 
tion as in prosperity, in praise as in blame, in evil re¬ 
port as in good report; he does not suffer himself to be 
dazzled by the glare of an active and glorious life, nor is 
he saddened by the obscurity of an abject and forgotten 
one. Hence also is he patient of injuries, sincere in for¬ 
giving them, more ready to make advances towards re¬ 
conciliation, than to exact redress. Finally, he is mod¬ 
est and reserved in his manners and deportment, courte¬ 
ous, affable, peaceful, and, he is all this, from superior 
and divine motives, notwithstanding the rebellion of his 
nature. 

To be more explicit, the humble Christian conforms 
himself exactly to the order of Providence, and aspires 
not beyond it. He does not yield to a senseless ardor 
for aggrandisement, but restrains himself within the limits 
which it has pleased God to mark out for him. He says, 
with David, “Lord my heart is not exalted; nor are 
my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great mat¬ 
ters, nor in wonderful things above me.”* It is not 
that he is free from the attacks of a lurking ambition. 
That pride which is so natural to us, is always eager to 
advance from one degree to another. There are times 
and conjunctures, when temptation is hard to overcome; 
but the humble Christian know's how to repress and sub¬ 
due it, with a holy violence. He is what God has made 


jfs. exxx. 1, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


317 


hifrij what God chooses him to be — that is enough, 
what needs he more ? If in the course of years Provi¬ 
dence should call him to something higher, it is well — 
he awaits in peace the summons. Till then, he has no 
other care, than to live acceptable to God in his ac¬ 
tual state, and to accomplish his career in holiness. 
What energy there is, in moderation like this! and to 
maintain it, how many combats and victories over 
oneself are necessary! 

The natural consequence of dispositions like these, 
is to walk only in the ways of God, and never swerve 
from them. Desiring to be nothing but in conformity 
to the will of God, the humble Christian has no projects 
to arrange, no means to devise, no springs to set in mo¬ 
tion for his own advancement. Hence he needs neither 
partisans, nor intrigue. He pursues invariably the same 
course, without deviation, or disguise. Armed with the 
maxims of the gospel, which is truth itself, he never has 
recourse, on any occasion, to falsehood, which the gos¬ 
pel condemns, and being free from those ambitious de¬ 
sires, which might seduce or corrupt him, he is far 
from putting in practice those criminal measures, the 
falsity and turpitude of which he clearly perceives. 

Again, there is a pretended humility, which is only 
apparent, and there are feigned humiliations, which con¬ 
sist only in false professions, and a deceitful exterior. 
The worlding often humbles himself, but why? through 
frail hope, through base flattery, through vile and sordid 
slavery. Religion inspires the humble Christian, even in 
his most profound abasement, with far more generosity 
and dignity. He does honor to his neighbour, he enter¬ 
tains for him all possible deference, and respect; he 
would not refuse, if necessary, to crawl upon the dust 
beneath his feet •, but in this, what has he in view ? the 
man? No, most assuredly 7 for he regards not, and 
wants nothing from the man. But in the man, he has 
regard to God. In obeying the individual, he obeys 
his God ; in rendering homage to the creature, he offers 
incense to his Creator. He orostrates himself before 


THE PRACTICE OP 


SIS 

God, in bowing down to man. God is the only object 
of his worship, as he is to be its only recompense. 

Equity of judgments, is, if I may use the expres¬ 
sion, one of the noblest efforts of humility. For as 
we are generally prejudiced, either in our own favor, by 
self-love, or against our neighbour, by a malignant envy, 
little reliance can be placed in the justice of our decis¬ 
ions concerning either ourselves, or others. But, the 
humble Christian being disengaged from those pre¬ 
judices which blind us, is in a much better state 
forjudging justly; and, as he neither dissembles nor de¬ 
nies the truth, he speaks as he thinks, and he usually 
thinks well. If therefore the question concerns himself, 
he does not overrate his merit; if it relates to his neigh¬ 
bour, he does him full justice; and, far from undervalu¬ 
ing or concealing his deserts, he is the first to give them 
publicity. 

II. Christian humility is no obstacle to great actions — 
to enterprises which require magnanimity, and invinci¬ 
ble resolution. Its foundation, it is true, is a conviction 
of our weakness, and a habitual consciousness of our in¬ 
sufficiency. A man truly humble is persuaded that he is 
nothing, that of himself he can do nothing good. Hence, 
it does not appear natural that he should conceive 
projects, or desire to engage in undertakings, which 
call for rare and peculiar talents. But it is no less true, 
that nothing, as St. Leo says, is difficult to the hum¬ 
ble ; that there is no enterprise so vast as to disconcert 
and confound them; that they are capable of daring 
any thing, and meeting every danger with the most 
firm, and heroic intrepidity; that the weaker they con¬ 
sider themselves, the stronger they feel; and that, in 
proportion to their self-distrust, are the ardor of ^their 
zeal and the expansion of their views. For the humble 
Christian is as confident in God, as he is diffident of him¬ 
self. The less he depends on himself, the more he re¬ 
lies upon his Maker. He knows that to God nothing is 
impossible. He knows that God delights to manifest his 
glory in our weakness, and that he communicates his 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


319 


grace most abundantly to the feeblest, if they put their 
trust in him. Animated by these considerations, and 
armed, as it were, with the omnipotence of God him¬ 
self, is there any thing so painful or laborious, any thing 
so lofty or so great that he fears to undertake, or des¬ 
pairs to achieve ^ Let God call, and he will no more 
hesitate than Isaias to answer: “ Lo! here am I ; send 
me.” * Let God send him whithersoever he pleases, 
and he will go. He will go before the powers of the 
world, he will enter the courts of kings ; he will an¬ 
nounce to them the mandates of heaven, unmoved by the 
splendor of their array, their threats, or their promises. 
To use the figurative language of scripture; he will 
“ plant, and root uphe will “ build, and pull 
downt 

What a wonderful union of things apparently so in¬ 
compatible ! — so much diffidence on the one hand, and 
so much confidence on the other! For, in doing all 
this, the humble Christian loses none of his humility ^ he 
never forgets his weakness. He considers himself an 
unprofitable servant, a mere child; he says to his God, 
in the spirit of the prophet Jeremias, “ Ah ! Lord God, 
behold I cannot speak.” X It is true, he can do no¬ 
thing by himself; but while he confesses this, most earn¬ 
estly and sincerely, he forgets not what the apostle of 
the gentiles has taught him, that “he can do all things 
in him who strengthened him.” § So that, whatever be 
the work to which he is called by Almighty God, he 
does not hesitate to undertake it. Let him foresee in it 
a thousand difficulties, a thousand obstacles to over¬ 
come; let success appear, not only doubtful, but even 
beyond the range of probability — he hopes against 
hope itself. 

Nor is this conduct, the effect of presumptuous teme¬ 
rity ; for his hope is founded on that great principle of 
St. Paul: “ The foolish things of the w^orld hath God 
chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak 

♦ Isaias, vi. 8. f Jerem. i. 10. Jib. i 6. § Phil. W. 13. 


B20 


THE PRACTICE OP 


things of the world hath God chosen, that he may con¬ 
found the strong: and the mean things of the world, 
and the things that are contemptible, hath God chosen, 
and the things that are not, that he might destroy the 
things that are.” * Thus, when David beheld the gi¬ 
gantic Philistine approaching, ‘‘ Thou comest to me,” 
he said, “ with a sword, and with a spear, and with a 
shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of 
Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel; and the Lord 
will deliver thee into my hand, and I will slay thee, 
and take away thy head from thee—that all the earth 
may know that there is a God in Israel, and that the 
Lord saveth not with sw'ord and spear.” f 

Such is the confidence with which humility inspires 
humble souls: they feel the more assured of God’s 
protection, as they depend less upon themselves; nor 
are they deterred from their enterprises by the fear 
of disappointment, and the shame of discomfiture, which 
God may sometimes permit them to meet with. A 
worldling, led on by pride, could not, as we have already 
remarked, expose himself so easily. He dreads to 
risk his honor — serious examinations, and long delib¬ 
erations are necessary to fix his resolution. But the 
humble are not so jealous of empty fame, nor so sensi¬ 
tive to the reproaches they would experience in the 
event of failure. They give themselves up to the guid¬ 
ance of the Spirit of God, and resign themselves to 
every thing that may happen for their humiliation be¬ 
fore mankind. 

These are not mere speculations: we have seen 
them exemplified in practice. Was there ever an en¬ 
terprise like that of the Apostles, wdien they divid¬ 
ed themselves among all the nations of the earth and 
undertook the conversion of the world ? The moat il¬ 
lustrious conquerors whose exploits are blazoned on the 
page of profane history, have extended their dominion 
over a few nations ; but these holy conquerors, or rath- 


* 1 Cor. i. 27. 28. 


11 Kings, xlv. 46. 47. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


321 


6r, these holy and zealous propagators of the Ghtistian 
law, proposed to themselves to subject all the world to 
the empire of Jesus Christ. Neither age, nor sex, nor 
rank, was excepted from their design. To judge of it 
by the rules of worldly prudence, it was a chimerical’ 
undertaking. Yet we know, how ardently they engaged 
in it, with what constancy they persevered, and how 
happily they achieved it. 

And, who were these Apostles poor fishermen, weak 
and little, in the eyes of the world, and humble accord¬ 
ing to the Gospel. Yet their humility did not lim¬ 
it their views, contract their hearts, weaken their re¬ 
solution, shake their constancy, or arrest their progress. 
Humble as they were, they crossed seas, traversed 
kingdoms and provinces, replied to judges and magis¬ 
trates, resisted the powerful, confounded tire wise-, in¬ 
structed infidels and barbarians, and triumphed over 
idolatry and paganism. And, in after ages, how numer¬ 
ous have been their imitators and successors, who, hum¬ 
ble as they, devoted themselves to perpetuate the fruits 
of their zeal! how many, even at the present day, com¬ 
bine the same humility with the same elevation of senti¬ 
ments ? 

To return to the Apostles—can we read the epis¬ 
tles of St. Paul, without being struck by the great¬ 
ness of his mind and character.^ What fire! what 
vivacity! and, withal, what firmness! Who thinks 
more nobly ^ W’ho speaks more eloquently ^ What 
did he not achieve, and undergo! superior as he was 
to dangers, to persecutions, to treasons, to calumnies, 
to disgrace, to chains, to hunger, to thirst, to the 
sword, to death—“In all these things we overcome,” * 
says he. Yet, this vessel of election, this great Apos¬ 
tle, what contempt did he not feel and express for 
himself.? What was he in his own eyes.? a sinner, a 
blasphemer, a persecutor of the Church, an abor^ 
iion, a man unworthy of the Apostleship; so vivid- 


^ Rom. viii. 37. 


S22 


THE PRACTICE OP 


ly did his humility represent him to himself, and so 
much did it lower him in his own esteem. 

We might add much to the same purpose con¬ 
cerning those religious orders and associations, which 
are the schools of perfection for either sex, and 
whose sanctity edifies the Christian world. What has 
it not cost to form those great bodies, to assemble 
their members, organize and regulate them! What 
studies and cares, what meditations, reflections, and 
consultations! But also, what surprising progress! 
These societies have multiplied; they have spread 
themselves through every place enlightened by the 
faith and submissive to the Church of Christ. Like 
so many republics, they h^ve established their gov¬ 
ernment, their laws, their statutes, their offices, their 
functions, their observances, all which required the 
utmost penetration and sagacity. And to whom, un¬ 
der God, are we indebted for those holy establish¬ 
ments^ is it to skilful politicians, and their intrigues.^ 
is it to philosophers, proud of their learning, and 
puffed up with vanity? We cannot answer better 
than in the words of the Son of God: “ 1 give thee 
thanks, O Father ! Lord of heaven and earth, that 
thou hast hid these things from the wise and pru¬ 
dent, and hast revealed them to the little ones. ” * 
An humble Francis of Assissium, an humble Francis 
of Paula, and others, were found to be the most fit to 
comprehend the designs of Providence, and the best 
prepared to promote them. 


*Luke, X. 21. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


323 


CHAPTER XIV. 


On temptations. 

( 


There are two sorts of temptations; some, of wliich 
we may shun the occasions, and from which we are 
at liberty to withdraw; others, to which we find 
ourselves necessarily exposed, and against our own 
will and inclination—We shall speak only of the latter. 


SECT. I. 

Temptations are unavoidable in this life. 


St. Jerom, writing bn this text of Ecclesiastes, 
There is a time for war, and a time for peace,” * 
says, that as long as we are on this earth, it is for 


• Eccl. iii. 8. 





S2i 


THfi tRACTtCfi 01? 


tis a time of war, and that, when we shall be in 
heaven, it will be a time of peace. Let no one, he 
adds, think himself secure in time of war, when we 
have continually to fight, that we may one day 
enjoy undisturbed peace. ‘‘ The life of man upon 
earth,” says Job, “is a warfare.”* To every one, 
therefore, who will peruse these pages, I may say, 
in the words of an inspired writer: “ Son! when 

thou comest to the service of God, stand in jus¬ 
tice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for tempta¬ 
tion.”! 

The cause of this continual war which we have 
to carry on, is within us; “ The corruptible body 

is a load upon the soul ;” ! “ The flesh lusteth a- 
gainst the spirit.” § St. James having asked the 
question, “ From whence are wars and contentions 
among you .^” answers : “ Come they not hence ^ from 
your concupiscences, which war in your members ?” || 
Add to this, the contagion of bad example, to be 
entirely exempt from which, “ we must have gone 
out of this world,” ^ and the snares of the devil, 
“ our adversary,” who, “ as a roaring lion, goeth 
about, seeking whom he may devour;** “For our 
w:estling is not merely against flesh and blood, but 
against the rulers of the world of this darkness — 
the spirit of wickedness.”!! 

It is impossible for man not to be tempted, says 
St. Jerom. Hence, when the Lord Jesus bjd his 
Apostles “ Watch and pray,” he did not bid them 
do so, in order that they might be exempt from 
temptation; but, “Watch and pray,” said he, “that 
ye enter not into temptation,” !! that is, according 
to the same saint, that you may not yield tOj and be 
overcome by temptation. Hence, St. Paul, exhorting the 
Galatians “ to walk in the Spirit,” does not say that 

* Job, vii. 1. t Eccl. ii. 1. X Wisd. ix. 15. ^ Gal. v. 17. 

II James, iv. 1. IT 1 Cor. iv. 10. ** 1 Pet. v. 8. 

tt Eph. vi. 12. XI Matt. xxvi. 41. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


S25 


they shall, thereby, be freed from “the lusts of the 
flesh; but, “Walk in the Spirit,” he tells them, 
“and you shall not J'ulfil the lusts of the flesh.”* 
It is therefore a great error, and often a very per¬ 
nicious one too, to imagine that when we are as¬ 
sailed by violent temptations, all is lost, and that 
God must have forsaken us. The life of the just, says 
St. Austin, is not a triumph, but a combat. 


SECT. II. 


The advantages we may derive from temptations. 


“The Lord your God trieth you, that it may 
appear whether you love him with all your heart, 
and with all your soul, or no.” t Temptations 
teach us what we are. They put our virtues to 
the true test; and distinguish those which are the 
effect of our natural disposition, or the mere result 
of circumstances, from those which are real, and 
deeply rooted in the heart — a distinction, which, 
without the knowledge and experience they impart, 
it is not easy to make; for, “ What doth he know 
that hath not been tried X 

They divest us of that false confidence which we 
rashly place in ourselves, where we are unmolested by 
them. They are a painful, but often a necessary coun¬ 
terpoise to that secret pride, with which the gifts of 
God, and the practice of certain virtues are,apt to in¬ 
spire us. Under their pressure, we learn to distrust 

♦ Gal. V. 16. t Deut. xiii. 3. JEccl. xxxiv. 9. 

28 



326 


THE PRACTICE OP 


our own strength, to acknowledge our weakness, and 
the need we have of God’s assistance, “ Who causeth 
us to triumph in Christ Jesus.”* 

The saints remark, that God, by a secret and adora¬ 
ble disposition of his providence, permits the elect to be 
tempted and afflicted, to detach tliem from this world, to 
withdraw their hearts from its fleeting and dangerous 
enjoyments, and to induce them to look for happiness, 
peace, and glory, to the lieavenly inheritance wliicli he 
has prepared for them. 

Considered as sufferings and crosses, temptations call 
for the exercise of the most essential virtues, such as 
prayer, self-denial, and mortification. Like them, they 
increase our merit, and multiply our rewards: “-Bless¬ 
ed is the man that endureth temptation,” says 8t, James, 
“ for when he hath been proved,'he shall receive tlie 
crown of life.” | From this text, vSt. Bernard infers the 
necessity of temptations : It is necessary, says he, that 
temptations should come ; for we shall not be ciowned 
unless we fight law'fully, J and how can we fight, if no 
one attacks us.? This necessity is clearly expressed 
in the words of the angel to Tobias ; “ Because thou 
wast acceptable to God, it tvas necessary that tempta¬ 
tion should prove thee.” § 


SECT. I 11. It 


Three incontestable principles uilh regard to the help of 
grace in templaiions. 

1. Wittiojt the help of God’s grace tve cannot over¬ 
come temptations, that is to say, we cannot obtain 

•2Cor. ii It. f James,i. 12. | 2 Tim. ii 5. § Tob. xii. 13. 

U From Bourdaloue. 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


327 


over them a holy and Christian victory ; for to over¬ 
come one temptation by another, one sin by another sin 
— tlie desire of revenge by self-interested views, in¬ 
terest by pleasure, pleasure by ambition — are the vic¬ 
tories of tlie worid, in wliich the grace of God has no 
shaie : but to overcome all these temptations, and the 
world itself, for God’s sake, is the victory of grace and of 
our faith. * 

2. There is no temptation, but can be overcome with 
the helj) of Goti’s grace. The beloved disciple gives 
an excellent leason for it, when he says to the faithful : 
Me who is among you, by his grace, is much stronger 
than he who is in the worid,t and reigns in it as 
prijice of the world. J Therefore, to believe a 
temptation is insurmountable, to say, as many do, I 
cannot resist this passion, I cannot control this habit, and 
inclination, is to oifer an injury to God : it is, according 
to St. Bernard, the language of infidelity, even more than 
that of weakness. Because, in speaking so, we eith¬ 
er take into consideration our own strength only, apart 
from that of God, and then we tell the truth, but we 
speak as infidels*, or we refer to the grace and help of 
God, and then our assertion is not only false, but hereti¬ 
cal. § 

3. The help of grace is never wanting to us in tempta¬ 
tion. God is always ready to aid us; but, at the same 
time, he wishes us to act, and to make use of his gra¬ 
ces agreeably to the end for which they are given to us. 
Temptations are assaults from our enemy; the graces 
of God are means to repel them; they are graces of 
combat, of defence, of attack, of resistance. To de¬ 
pend upon them, without being determined to resist and 
combat the temptation, is to fancy to ourselves an imag¬ 
inary and chimerical assistance, and to go against the 
views and designs of Providence. 

St. Paul teaches us, that “ God will not suffer us to 

♦ 1 John, V. 4. t ib. iv. 4. J John, xii. 31—xiv. 30. 

§ Phil. iv. 13. 


328 


THE PRACTICE; OF: 


be tempted above that which we are able* but “ we 
are able,” only by grace therefore, on the part of 
God, it is never wanting to us, not only to overcome 
temptation, but to profit by it. The same apostle, howe¬ 
ver, by a figure which the Holy Ghost dictated to him, 
speaks of “the shield” of faith, “ the breast-plate” of jus¬ 
tice, “ the helmet of hope,” and exhorts us to put on these 
spiritual arms: “Take unto you the armour of God, 
that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to 
stand in all things perfect.” f 


SECT. IV. 


Difference between experiencing and consenting to temp¬ 
tation. 


Great as the advantages which we may derive from 
temptation are, yet, if we do not view it in its proper 
light, but suffer ourselves to be disconcerted by it, it 
may lead us to sin, and, perhaps, to despair. To avoid 
this awful consequence, we must not confound the temp¬ 
tation itself, with the pleasure which sometimes accom¬ 
panies it, and the consent which may^be given to them. 
The mere temptation is no sin whatever ; the pleasure 
may be felt against our will, and then, it is no sin 
either ; the consent alone, is always a sin. 

Let the temptation last ever so long, let our feelings, 
whilst it lasts, be what they may, if we take no pleasure 
in either, we shall incur no guilt. Upder such circum^ 



CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


329 


stances, “We suffer, but we do not act,” says St. Fran¬ 
cis of Sales. VVhaterer temptation may hereafter 
befal you,” he adds, “ or with w^hatever pleasure it may 
be attended, as long as you will refuse your , consent to 
both, do not suffer yourself to be disturbed in the least; 
for God is not offended.” The devil, says St. Austin, 
is like a dog kept in chains: bark he can, terrjfy he may, 
and yet, he can bite none but those who are willing. 


SECT. V. 


Conduct we are to observe with regard to temptations. 


1. “ To watch and pray,” is the line of conduct 
prescribed by our Lord himself, “that we enter not in¬ 
to temptation that is, as we have remarked else¬ 
where with St. Austin, that we may not be overcome by 
the temptation, but triumph over it. The necessity and 
efficacy of this means has already been sufficiently prov¬ 
ed—chap. V. sec. 1 . 

I shall content myself with suggesting here a few 
short and fervent prayers, which may be used whilst 
the temptation lasts : 

“ Lord ! I suffer violence ; answer thou for me.” I 

“ Have mercy on me, O Lord! see my humiliation, 
which 1 suffer from my enemies.” J 

“ O Lord ! rise up to help me — Say to my soul, lam 
thy salvation.” § ,. 

“ Have mercy on me, O God ! have mercy on me; for 

* Mat. xxvi. 4. f Isaias, xxxviii. 14. | Ps. ii. 14, § Lb. xxiir. 2. 3. 

28* 




330 


THE PRACTICE OF 


my soul trusteth in thee ; and in the shadow of thy 
wings will I hope.” ^ 

‘‘ Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered —as 
smoke vanisheth, so let them vanish away.” f 

“ Hear me, O Ix)rd ! for thy mercy is kind ; look up¬ 
on me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 
— 1 am in trouble, hear me speedily.” J 

“ Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of 
death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” § 
“lathee, O Lord ! have I hoped, let me never be 
confounded — Be thou unto me a God, a protector — 
Have mercy on me, O Lord ! for I am afflicted.” f| 

2. A lively sense of the presence of God is another 
efficacious means, not only to conquer, but to profit by 
temptations. “Its practice,” says Fenelon, “ is the sov¬ 
ereign remedy against them. It supports, it consoles, it 
calms.” We have spoken of it elsewhere — see Chap¬ 
ter vi., section 1. 

3. Diffidence of ourselves and confidence in God, is 
also a sure means to overcome temptations. God is 
pleased to surround with a peculiar protection the hum¬ 
ble Christian, who, conscious of his own weakness, ex¬ 
pects his deliverance from him alone, and is ready to 
give him all the glory of the victory which he hopes 
to obtain with the help of his grace. Innumerable pas¬ 
sages from holy scripture can be adduced in support of 
this truth : 

“ Shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who sav- 
est them that trust in thee.”^ 

“By thee I shall be delivered from temptation — The 
Lord is the protector of all that trust in him.” ** 

Again: “Because he hoped in me, I will dpliver 
him.”tt 

“ There is no confusion to them that trust in thee.” JJ 
“ Behold the generations of men: and know ye that 

^ Ps Ivi. 2. fib. Ixvii. 12. J ib. Ixviii. 17. 18. § ib. xxii. 4. 

H ib. XXX. 2. 3. 10. IT ib. xvi. 7. ** ib. xvii. 30. 31. 

t| ib. xc-14. II Dan. iii. 40. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 331 

no one hath hoped in tiie Lord, and hath been confound¬ 
ed.” * 

4. “ The great remedy against all temptations, whe¬ 
ther great or little,” says St. Francis of Sales, “ is to 
make them known to our spiritual director — to lay our 
heart open to him, and disclose our feelings with can¬ 
dor and humility.” Temptations are diseases of the soul; 
they are as various, and often as intricate and treache¬ 
rous, as those of the body : our spiritual director is the 
physician of our soul; he should, therefore, he well ac¬ 
quainted with the nature and progress of the tempta¬ 
tion, in order to be able to prescribe the proper remedy, 
and point out, with certainty, the course which we are to 
follow. A physician, says St. Jerom, cures not a dis¬ 
ease of which he has no knowledge. 

5. I shall conclude with one more remark, relative to 
temptations against faith and modesty. There are pure 
and pious souls, who suffer themselves to be thrown in¬ 
to great alarms and confusion, by evil thoughts against 
faith and purity : imagining that they are a sign of re¬ 
probation, and a proof that God has forsaken them. 
But they are entirely mistaken, and labour under a 
dangerous illusion. They should take no notice of such 
thoughts. The uneasiness which they experience on 
account of these temptations, the fear which they en¬ 
tertain of consenting to them, and the effforts which 
they make to reject them, serve only to increase their 
influence on the imagination, and render them more 
formidable. 


*Eccl. ii. 11.. 


333 


THE PRACTICE OP 


CHAPTEll XT. 


On the spirit of Christianity.* 


The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of separation 
from the world, and of consecration to God; in other 
words, a Christian is, by his profession, separated 
from the world, and consecrated to God. 


SECT. I. 


The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of separation 
from the world. 

n 


Two things, according to St. Thomas, are es^ 
sentially requisite to make a Christian—the grace of 
Tocation, on the part of God; and a faithful compli¬ 
ance with that grace, on the part of man —both of 


Bourdaloue, 





CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


333 


vrhich have no stronger characteristic, than separa¬ 
tion from the world. 

In the first place, the grace of vocation to Christianity, 
is a grace of separation from the world ; its peculiar attrac¬ 
tion and impulse consist in this. Thus, St. Paul, to express 
the nature of the grace which he received from God in 
his miraculous conversion, says, “ He separated me 
from my mother's womb* that is, according to the 
explanation of St. Ambrose, he chose me to live sep¬ 
arated from the corruption of the world. Thus, again, 
when the Spirit of God bestowed on the first disci¬ 
ples those visible and abundant graces, which raised 
them to the most holy ministries, he always directed 
that those wdio had been chosen, should be separated 
even from the rest of the faithful: “Separate me Saul 
and P>arnabas, for the work to which 1 have taken 
themt as if this separation, adds St. Chrysostom, 
had been a kind of Sacrament, by which the grace of 
divine vocation was to be imparted to them. 

Atiu again, the Apostle of the Gentiles, wishing to 
make us understand the siipereminent and infinite grace 
of the sanctity of Jesus Christ, sums up all its excel¬ 
lence in one w ord — He was “separated from sinners.’’ J 
But we know that the sanctity of Jesus Christ is the 
pattern of our owm ; and that ours, to be acceptable to 
God, must be conformable to his. Therefore, since 
it is true that this man-God was sanctified by a grace, 
Ilyich fully separated him from the w'orld,—the 
grace by w'hicb W'e are sanctified, must needs pro¬ 
duce a similar effect in us ; so that, in consequence' 
of this grace, God may say to us, what he said to 
the Israelites : You are my people, and it is in this 
light I view you; but why, and bow% are you my peo¬ 
ple ? because I have separat(^d you from every other 
people of the earth, who live in the darkness of in¬ 
fidelity. Such is the essential characteristic of the 
grace of our vocation to Christianity — Inasmuch as 
it proceeds from God, it is a grace of separation. 


* Gal. i. 15. 


t Acts, xiii. 2. 


X Heb. vii. 26. 


334 


THE PRACTICE OP 


But, our compliance with God’s grace, must neces¬ 
sarily correspond to the end and object, for which 
that grace is given. For, as “ tliere are diversities of 
graces,” and inspirations; so also, there are,” on 
the part of man, “ diversities of operations,” and du¬ 
ties. That is to say, every sort of duty does not 
correspond to every sort of grace. For instance, if 
God gives me a grace of resistance and defence a- 
gainst my passions, I cannot comply with tliat grace, 
but by resisting and combating them. On the contra¬ 
ry, if lie gives me grace to withdraw from the occa¬ 
sions of sin, I cannot be faithful to that grace, but by 
withdiawing from them, i'onsequently, as the grace 
by wliich God calls me to Christianity, is a grace 
of separation from the world, whatever else I may do, 
I shall never fulfil the duties of Christianity, unless I 
separate myself fr-oni the world, by co-operating with 
that grace, d'hese two separ'ations should concur, and 
m’ne should second that of God, in the same mannec 
as that of God is the principle of mine. Hence follow 
three practical consequences; 

1. It is enough that we are Christians, to be oblig¬ 
ed to live in a spirit of separation from the world, that 
is, — from the false pleasures, the profane joys, the 
vain intrigues, the luxury, the amusements, the follies,, 
the customs or rather the abuses of the world ; — from 
all that nourishes the coreuption, and dissipation of the 
world ; — fiern all that was meant by the beloved disci¬ 
ple, when he said ‘‘ Love not the world, nor those 
things which are in the world—the concupiscence 
of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and 
the pride of life.” t It is enough that we are Chris- 
tiai^s, I say, to be obliged to separate ourselves from 
all this. We all know it, and unless we disavow what 
our sponsors have solemnly promised in our name, 
at our baptism, and what we have ourselves often rati¬ 
fied since, w'e cannot deny it. 


* I Cor. xii. 4. 6. 


t 1 John, ii. 15, 16. 


CHRISTIAN perfection. 


3i5 


lienee, when the Fathers wished to withdraw the 
faithful from certain diversions, of which woi-ldliii^'» 
liave at all times been passionately fond, they assigned 
no other reason, than that they were Christians and 
separated from the world, and this alone sudiced to per¬ 
suade them, d'he theatre, said 'rertullian, which is the 
abode ol impurity, makes a sejfaraiion between the 
pagans and us ; they flock to it, and we ahhor it: and 
this dilference is only a conse(juence of the dilference 
of our re igion In like maiuier, ^vhen he recommend¬ 
ed to Chiistian ladies nVodesty and simplicity in their 
dress, whicli may he considered, \vith regard to them, 
as the beginning of their scfiaration from the world, 
what argument did he use You are Christians, he said,, 
and hy consequence, se[)arated from all that might in¬ 
duce yon to take pinde in a thing so vain and frivolous 
as dress; you no longer belong to those assemblies in 
which people meet for no otlier purpose, than to see 
and be seen — as Christians, you no longer appear in 
j)ublic but to discharge the duties of charity, and })iety; 
to visit the poor who are your brethren, to assist at the 
sacrifice of your God, and to hear his word. But 
you are unworthy of the name you bear, if, whilst you 
edify the heatliens by your fidelity to those duties, you 
do not take still more care to appear adorned with the 
true ornaments of your sex, which are reserve and 
modedy. 

It is therefore a great and pernicious error, to say. I 
am of the uorld ; f must live according to the world, and 
conform to its maxims. It is almost a blasphemy ; tor 
the Son of God has expressly declared to you in the gos- 
])el, that you are not of the world, * and you dare affirm, 
in the same sense in which he denied it, that you are of 
the world. No; — you should reverse the projiosition, 
and say ; I am not of the world ; because I am a Chris¬ 
tian. Therefore, 1 am no longer allowed to live accord¬ 
ing to the world, and conform to its maxims — then. 


* John, XV. 19. 


/ 


S36 THE PRACTICE OF 

you would speak agreeably to the spirit and the grace 
of your vocation. 

2. The more we separate ourselves from the world,the 
better Christians we are ; for the more we separate our¬ 
selves from the world, the more abundantly we partake in 
th^ grace of separation, by which we are called to the 
perfection of Christianity. Hence, if religious houses 
have always been considered as abodes ot sanctity, it is 
because their inmates live in an entire separation from 
the world. But what are religious houses, fervent and 
well regulated.? They are a particular Christianit}", 
says St. Bernard, rescued from the wreck of uni¬ 
versal Christianity, and preserved by divine Provi¬ 
dence as a precious remnant and a living memorial 
of that first Christianity, which the Pagans themselves 
revered. On the contrary, the greater our intercourse 
and connection with the world, the w’orse Christians we 
are. Insomuch, that w hen the fathers of the Church 
spoke of those vain amusements, those frivolous plea¬ 
sures, and fashionable diversions, not to say fashionable 
follies, which show attachment to the world, they did not 
hesitate to affirm, that to indulge in them was a secret 
apostacy; because, as the grace of faith is a principle 
of separation from all these things, not to renounce them, 
is, in some measure, to renounce our faith. 

3. It is impossible for a Christian to be truly convert¬ 
ed, and to live according to the spirit of his vocation, 
unless he is determined to divorce hims,elf from the 
world, more than he did before; for, to wish to main¬ 
tain with the w^orld the same intercourse, that caus¬ 
ed us to lose the fear and love of God, and pretend to 
walk in the paths of sincere repentance, is a contradic¬ 
tion. How can you, says St. Bernard, “ iDring forth fruit 
W'orthy of penance,” derive benefit from prayer, assist 
with devotion at the holy sacrifice of the altar, re¬ 
ceive the sacraments worthily, in a word, serve God 
“ in spirit and in truth,” unless you withdraw from 
the tumult, the annoyance, and the distractions of the 

y -1^ ? 


CltaiSTIAi^ PERFECTION. 


3^7 


There are two sorts of separations from the 
world, one exterior, the other interior, and both are 
required by the spirit of Christianity. The former, 
without the latter, is of no use; for, in vain should we 
be separated from the world by our dress, our profes¬ 
sion, and our mode of living, if our hearts were still at¬ 
tached to it, and our minds filled with its maxims. 
The heart is first to be weaned from the world. But 
this is not sufficient — this interior separation, must be 
accompanied with exterior separation ; because, says St. 
Gregory, the corruption of the world is such, that the 
purest and most religious persons, are not altogether se¬ 
cure from its contagion. Happy, therefore, are they, 
who, by a peculiar and kind disposition of Providence, 
have it in their power to live in an entire, or almost 
entire separation from the world! 

But if the duties of our profession oblige us take an 
active part in the affairs of the world, and enter the bu¬ 
sy walks of life ; let us, at least, from time to time, with¬ 
draw from our ordinary and even necessary occupations, 
and apply ourselves exclusively to the great concerns of 
salvation, after the example of those “kings and consuls 
of the earth,” of whom Job says, that they “ build 
themselves solitudes,” * into which they retire from the 
bustle and turmoils of the world. 

Let. us separate ourselves from the world, before 
the world separates itself from us. Let us appear, 
upon earth, in the same rank that we wish to oc¬ 
cupy, on the day of judgment, when the first act of 
divine justice will be to separate the wicked from 
among the just ; t let us anticipate the effect of this 
judgment, and separate ourselves from the world, 
lest God, on that awful day, should separate us from 
his elect. 

* Job, iii. 14. t Mat. xiii. 19. 


29 


338 


THE PRACTICE OP 


SECT. II. 


The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of consecration 
to God. 

All men, says St. Gregory, are subject to the su¬ 
preme dominion of God *, but tliey are not all, on 
that account, consecrated to him. This consecration is 
the effect of the special grace, by which we are 
made Christians, in the sacrament of bajjtism. 

By the grace of baptism, says St Cyprian, we are 
solemnly consecrated to God, in various ways, rvhich 
are all calculated to inspire us witli respect and venera¬ 
tion for the sacred character which is then imprinted in 
our souls — We are consecrated, as kings and priests; 
as temples, as children, as members of God. 

In the first place, baptism consecrates us, as kings 
and priests : “You area royal priesthood,” writes St. 
Peter to the Christians dispersed through Pontus, Ga¬ 
latia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia; * and St. John, 
speaking of the mystery of our redemption through 
Christ, says, “ he hath made us a kingdom and priests 
to God and his Father.” t At our baptism, wc are 
invested with a right to possess a “kingdom,”! to wear 
a “ crown,” § and to sit upon a “throne.” || 

The baptismal unction consecrates us priests of the 
living God ; because, it not only gives us powder, but 
it lays us under the obligation of offering to God contin¬ 
ual sacrifices — the sacrifice of our passions, our per¬ 
verse inclinations, and evil propensities, by self-denial 
and mortification — the sacrifice of our owm wdll, by 
submission to the dispensations of Providence — the sa¬ 
crifice of our pride, by humility — of our resentment, by 

* 1 Epist. ii. 9. t Apoc. i. vi. J Mat. xxv. 34. § 2 Tim. iv. 8. 

|[ Apoc. iii. 21. 


Christian perfection. 


339 


charity—of our anger, by meekness. “By such sa¬ 
crifices,” vve may add, in the words of St. Paul, 
“ God’s favour is obtained* but, without them, Chris¬ 
tianity is reduced to a vain and empty shadow. Again, 
as Christians, we c^n daily otfer the most august of all 
sacrifices, which is that of the body and blood of Je¬ 
sus Christ. For, when we hear mass, we do, really 
and conjointly with the priest, offer this divine sacrifice; 
whence St. Leo concludes that Christians are partak¬ 
ers of the priestly office. 

A Ciiristian, by his baptism, is also consecrated to 
God as his temple. St Paul alludes to this doctrine, 
in sev'eral parts of his epistles, as to a truth with 
which the faithful were well acquainted : “ Know 
you not,” he writes to the Corinthians, “ that you are 
the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dvvelleth 
in you f Again: “ Know you not, that your mem¬ 
bers are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you J 
Upon another occasion, wishing to deter them from as¬ 
sociating with infidels, he merely asks — “What agree¬ 
ment hath the temple of God with idols and adds, 
“ You are the temple of the living God.”§ Now, 
this prerogative of being the temples of God, is, pro¬ 
perly speaking, the effect of the grace of our baptism 
alone. For, we are, properly speaking, the temples of 
God, only inasmuch as we are capable of receiving the 
sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, in which Jesus Christ 
comes, really and substantially, to dwell within us ; but, 
we are made capable of receiving this sacrament by bap¬ 
tism, in virtue of the sacred character which it im¬ 
prints in our souls ; therefore, it is by baptism that we 
become the temples of God. 

Lastly, by baptism we become children of God, and 
members of Christ — These are the very expressions 
of holy scripture, the glorious titles it gives to Chris¬ 
tians. “ You are all the children of God by faith, in 
Christ Jesus,” says St. Paul to the Galatians, “ for as 

* Heb. xiii. 16. f 1 Cor. iii. 16. J ib. vi. 19. § 2 Cor. vi. 16, 


340 


THE PRACTICE OP 


many of you as har^ Jbeen baptized in Christ, have put 
on Christ;” * andV(ithe Corinthians: “You are the bo¬ 
dy of Christ, and members of member.”! “Behold!” 
exclaims the beloved disciple, “ what manner of charity 
the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be 
named, and should be the sons of God !” X 

Such is the excellence of the baptismal conse¬ 
cration. Let us now consider the obligation it lays up¬ 
on us, to lead a life of holiness — and, in truth, what 
duties can be too arduous, what perfection too sub¬ 
lime, for the children of God! We are unworthy of 
that name, says St. Ambrose, if we depart from the 
noble sentiments which the spirit of Christianity in¬ 
spires, and suffer ourselves to be led by the maxims of 
the world ; and we should forever renounce the honor 
of belonging to God, if we were to content ourselves 
with possessing ordinary virtues. From this principle, 
St. Paul bestowed upon all Christians the appellation of 
saints ; and when he wrote to the churches committed 
to his care, his letters bore this inscription : “ Paul — 
to all the saints who are at Ephesus” § — “to all the 
saints who are at Philippi ;” || because he considered 
sanctity inseparable from the profession of Christianity^ 
Hence, he seldom used any other motive than this, to 
induce Christians to preserve that inviolable purity 
of body and soul, which ought to characterize them. 
“ Know you not,” he said to them, “ that you are 
the temple of God — But if any man violate the 
temple of God, him shall God destroy ; for the temple 
of God is holy.” IF 

And, let us here remark, with Zeno of Verona, that 
if the temple of God were finished and perfect in us, as 
it is in the blessed inhabitants of heaven, we should 
no longer have need to work at our sanctification ; but, 
that the structure of this temple, being always to in¬ 
crease and never to terminate, whilst we live upon earth,^ 

• Gal.iii. 26.27. f 1 Cor. xii. 27. J 1 John, iii. 1. § Ephes. i. 1, 

U Philip, i. 1. IT 1 Cor. iii. 16. 17, 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


341 


it is our duty, in order to comply with the views of 
God, its first architect, to apply to it continually. A 
truth which St. Paul expresses in these words : “ All 
the building framed together (in Christ), groweth into a 
holy temple in the Lord.” * But this spiritual temple 
cannot be raised in us, but by the holiness of our life ; 
hence a holy life, is commotily called an edifying life. 

If the priests of the old law Were to be holy, because 
they were appointed to olfer incense and bread, what 
ought not to be the sanctity of Christians, wh6, in vir¬ 
tue of their vocation, are to make oblations incompara¬ 
bly more noble and dignified ^ who, to use the language 
of St. Paul, are to “present their bodies a living sa¬ 
crifice, holy, pleasing to God?”t who offer him hea¬ 
ven’s most precious victim, which is daily laid on our 
altars for the living and the dead 

Another consequence which necessarily follows 
from the sacred character of our baptism, is awful 
and alarming. It is, that our sins contain a peculiar ma¬ 
lice, which is that of sacrilege. And in fact, what is a 
sacrilege.? It is, according to all theologians, the abuse, 
the profanation of a thing consecrated to God. But, all 
that is in us, is consecrated to God by baptism ; and all 
the sins which we commit, are so many abuses of our¬ 
selves. Consequently, all our sins include a kind of sa¬ 
crilege of which we become guilty. And, what is 
the nature of that sacrilege.? it is not merely the pro¬ 
fanation of a thing consecrated to God, but united, in¬ 
corporated with God, as a Chris: an is by his baptism, 
and according to the principles oi our faith. What con¬ 
sideration more powerful than this can be urged, to de¬ 
ter us from sin, and from those sins, in particular, which, 
at once, defile the body and kill the soul.? “ Shall I 

then,” exclaims St. Paul—justly indignant that Chris¬ 
tians could be guilty of such profanations,— “taking 
the members of Christ, make them the members of a 
harlot ? God forbid!” % It is true that Jesus Christ, 

♦ Eph. ii. 21. f Rom. xii. 1. J I Cor. vi. 15. 

29 * 


342 


THE PRACTICE OF 


who is impeccable in himself, “ holy, innocent, unde¬ 
filed,” * cannot become a sinner in us ; yet, whenever 
a Christian sins, it is a member, a brother of Jesus 
Christ, who sins ; the child of God is defiled, and his 
temple polluted. — Thus far Bourdaloue. 

Such are the prerogatives, the obligations, and aw¬ 
ful consequences, which result from the grace and cha¬ 
racter of baptism. I shall not dwell any longer upon 
them, but conclude with the exhortation of St. Paul to 
the Ephesians: “I beseech you,” says this great Apos¬ 
tle, “ that you walk worthy of the vocation in which 
you are called, with all humility and mildness, with pa¬ 
tience, supporting one another in charity — that hence¬ 
forward you walk not as also the Gentiles walk, in the 
vanity of their mind, alienated from the life of God 
through the ignorance which is in them, because of the 
blindness of their heart. Be ye renewed in the spirit 
of your mind, and put on the new man, who, accord¬ 
ing to God, is created in justice, and holiness of truth. 
Give not place to the devil — Grieve not the Holy Spir¬ 
it of God, 'whereby you are sealed unto the day of 
redemption. Be ye follo\yers of God, as most dear 
children—You were heretofore darkness, but now 
light in the Lord. Walk ye as children of light — 
the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, 
and truth.” t 


*Heb.vii. 26. 


t Eph. iv. V. * 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


343 


CHAPTEIl XVL 


On the pleasures and diversions of the world. * 


“ Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament 
and weep ; but the world shall rejoice.” f Thus spoke 
Jesus Christ, foretelling the destiny of his elect, repre¬ 
sented by the Apostles whom he was addressing, and 
that of sinners, who compose that world, which he 
has so often reprobated. According to the false and 
limited views of human wisdom, quite a different 
distribution, and, indeed, the very reverse of this, might 
have been expected —joys, it would appear, should be 
the lot of the elect, and afflictions, the portion of the 
reprobate. “ Tell me,” said Job to God, in the bitter¬ 
ness of his soul, “why thou judgest me so Doth it 
seem good to thee that thou should oppress me, and 
help the counsel of the wicked But, “ as the hea¬ 
vens are exalted above the earth, so are the thoughts 
of God above our thoughts.” § It was necessary, for 
the accomplishment of the designs of God in behalf of 
his elect, that they should renounce the diversions of 

* From Bourdaloue. f John, xvi. 20. | Job, x. 2. 3. § Isaias, Iv. 8. 9. 



344 


THE PRACTICE OP 


the world; because, pleasing and fascinating as they 
are, they enervate the iriind, and corrupt the heart; 
because, like the fallacious “ way,” pointed out in the 
Book of Proverbs, whilst to the worldling they “ seem 
right, the ends thereof lead to death.”* In other 
words, because the diversions of the w^orld, even 
those which seem authorised by public opinion, are 
yet, for the most part, opposed to the spirit of Chris¬ 
tianity, condemned by its principles, and inconsistent 
with purity of morals. Such are, for instance, — the 
theatre, — balls, — and those public assemblies, where 
all are welcomed, who are attracted by the desire 
of seeing and being seen. 

Tertullian makes a very just remark in his trea¬ 
tise on public games. He says that human ignorance 
is never more presumptuous, than when we are in¬ 
terdicted from the enjoyment of pleasures, in which 
we have been accustomed to indulge, in the supposi¬ 
tion that they w^ere lawful. Then do we place our¬ 
selves on guard;—then do we become subtle, and 
ingenious; then do we invent a thousand pretexts to 
sustain our pretended rights, and, for fear of losing 
our gratification, persuade ourselves of its innocence, 
though it is essentially criminal, and opposed to the 
law of God. This is, in fact, the source of daily 
relaxations in Christian morality. 

Let us apply this general truth to the diversions, 
which we have just mentioned. Men, enlightened by 
the wisdom of the gospel, condemn them ; others, mis¬ 
led by the false lights of carnal prudence, approve, and 
try to justify them. Now this very diversity of 
opinions, constitutes a sufficient ground for renouncing 
them; for why should we incur a hazard, for the sake 
of any thing so insignificant, and with which we can so 
easily dispense } These opposite assertions, that they 
are criminal, and that they are harmless, prove that, at 
least, they are liable to suspicion; and since those who 


* Prov. xiv. 12.—xvi. 25. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


345 


maintain that they are dangerous to virtue, are, in other 
respects, more regular in their conduct, more attached 
to their duties, more profound in the knowledge of 
the ways of God, than their opponents,— is it not wi¬ 
ser, and safer to rely on them, and not so slightly 
risk our salvation.^ 

But there are stronger reasons to decide us. Fol¬ 
lowing the counsel of the Holy Ghost, “ask thy fa¬ 
ther and he will declare to thee — thy elders and they 
will tell thee,” * let us consult those whom God has 
appointed to instruct us ; the Fathers of the church. 
They will teach us truths, which ought to inspire 
horror for such amusements. They will tell us that 
the pagans themselves proscribed the theatre, as seduc¬ 
tive and injurious, and refer us to the wise ordinances 
which they cite to the confusion of such as pretend to jus¬ 
tify, as Christians, what paganism condemned. They 
will teach us, ^that to abandon it, was, in the first ages 
of the church, an authentic mark of Christianity ; and 
that it was not interdicted merely because it was de¬ 
voted to idolatry and superstition, but because it was a 
school of vice. And is it not so, at the present day ^ is 
not its contagion more dangerous, as it is more refined and 
disguised Its language, we admit, is more pure, more 
studied, more guarded ; but it no less enervates the 
mind, and corrupts the heart; and it might perhaps be 
safer to listen to the coarse excesses of a Jupiter, and 
the other deities, which, ofi’ending by their grossness, 
would make less impression on the soul. They will teach 
us, that, in the opinion of the early believers, it was im¬ 
possible to keep the baptismal vows, and continue attach¬ 
ed to the frivolous pastimes of the world: It is to mock 
God, says St. Cyprian, after having said anathema to the 
devil, as you did when you received the grace of 
Jesus Christ at the sacred fount, to pursue the false 
delights which he offers you at a ball-room or the 
play-house. They will teach us that the discipline 


Peut. x^xii, 7* 


846 


THE PRACTICE OB* 


of the church was so strict in regard to this, that it 
was sometimes an obstacle to the conversion of infidels. 
Insomuch, sa 3 ^s Tertullian, that they were more estran¬ 
ged from our holy faith by the dread of losing these en¬ 
joyments which it condemned, than by the fear of mar¬ 
tyrdom, with which its professors were threatened 
by the cruelty of tyrants. 

Such is the tradition, the opinion, the morality of 
those holy teachers — not of one or a few, but of 
them all. Upon this they are unanimous; they have 
but one voice. Not limited by the circumstances of 
a particular period, from age to age they have continued 
their prohibition, promulgated their maxims, and ful¬ 
minated their anathemas. Nor was this the doctrine of 
weak, ignorant, narrow-minded men, rash or timid in 
their decisions. Apart from their sanctity, which entitles 
them to our veneration, we know that they were the 
most distinguished geniuses of the ages in which they 
lived. We have their ivritings before us, and we see 
in them the sublimity of tlieir wisdom, the penetration 
of their sagacity, the depth and extent of their erudi¬ 
tion. Again, it was not a morality intended only as an 
inducement to perfection, and a mere counsel. If we 
weigh their expressions, and take them in the most natu¬ 
ral and obvious sense, we shall be convinced, that it was 
inculcated as including a positive precept; — on no oth¬ 
er subject did they speak with more rigor and vehem¬ 
ence ; to no other abuse did they attribute more fatal 
consequences. 

These zealous defenders of the pure morality of the 
gospel, did not use in support of their doctrine lea- 
;5ons peculiar to themselves; they urged the same ar¬ 
guments that are employed to day ; they had no others. 
They did not address themselves only to persons of 
particular situations in life, characters, or dispositions. 
They made no distinction of ranks, or conditions, or 
temperaments, or propensities. They spoke to Chris¬ 
tians, and they spoke to all. In vain might this or that 


CHRISTIAN perfection. 


347 


one reply to them, what we still hear now-a-days: “ All 
that I see and hear, only amuses me; 1 sustain no in¬ 
jury ; I receive no evil impression.” They treated this 
vain excuse, as a false and insincere disguise, or, at 
best, as an error, and illusion — as a false and insincere 
disguise, because they knew the most corrupt will fre¬ 
quently hold this language to justify their conduct 
outwardly, by cloaking the secret disorders of their 
hearts — as an error and illusion, for they knew how 
we love to blind ourselves, and what progress the pas¬ 
sions make, while we do not, or will not, perceive it. 

Wh.at now can the partisans of the world, oppose to 
testimony so express, so convincing, so respectable 
whom will they believe, if they submit not to such au¬ 
thority ? Would it not be most unwarrantable temeri¬ 
ty to pretend that all these holy men have been mista¬ 
ken ; that they have all carried their opinions to ex¬ 
tremes; and that we, of the present day, are more en¬ 
lightened than they ^ Yet such is the presumption of 
the age. In a matter wliich concerns salvation, every" 
competent and authorised judge has decided — But not 
according to the opinion of a few worldlings, who 
choose to be responsible to themselves alone. 1 say a 
few worldlings: for, if the pastors of souls, the teachers 
of morality, the ministers of the altar, spiritual direc¬ 
tors, preachers of the word of God, should, at present, 
hold principles less rigid upon this subject, than those 
of antiquity ; and if these principles were generally and 
steadily pursued by the most exemplary Christians, it 
would then be more excusable to enquire and deliberate. 
But such is not the fact. Preachers in the pulpit, di¬ 
rectors in the tribunal of penance, doctors in their 
schools, pastors of souls, ministers of the altar, all hold 
still the same language, and are sustained by all the 
faithful children of the church. Who then are the oth¬ 
ers a few worldlings — dissipated and selfish idolaters 
of their pleasures — ignorant, illiterate, and inattentive to 
their salvation, — vain women, whose whole knowledge 


m 


THE practice of 


is confined to dress, whose sole desire is to be seen and 
admired, whose only anxiety is to pass away time, arid 
avoid the ennui, which besets them when amusements 
fail — and, what is often more deplorable, whose pas¬ 
sions seek excitement, when every effort should be 
made to keep them in subjection. These are the or¬ 
acles to which such deference is paid., These are the 
teachers whose lights eclipse all others'; whose dogmas 
are absolute, and unanswerable, 'i hese are tbe guides 
whose directions are followed by persons who call them¬ 
selves Christians, and the securities on which they risk 
their consciences, their souls, their eternity. 

Romances, under what name soever they may appear, 
are another sort of amusement, which must be ranked wilh 
those already mentioned, as having a similar tendency. To 
read them is the occupation of the idle and frivolous; and 
the exaggerated sentiments, the imaginary adventures 
and intrigues, which they contain, form the ordinary 
subject of conversation among them. They store their 
memories with the most remarkable passages; — and 
knowing them all, continue still ignorant. But this is 
perhaps an evil of minor importance. The great mis* 
chief is, that nothing is more apt to corrupt the purity 
of the heart, than these pernicious books. Nothing dif¬ 
fuses through the soul a poison more subtle, more ac¬ 
tive, and more deadly ; whence it follows that nothing 
ought to be more strictly forbidden. Observation, the 
confession of those who speak from sad experience, rea¬ 
son, all concur to establish this conclusion* 

In proportion as persons become addicted to sOch 
reading, the relish for piety is lost; the heart grows cold 
to God, and the fervor of devotion is abated. The spi¬ 
rit of ihe world gradually gains the ascendancy, and 
the principles of religion are insensibly obliterated from 
the mind. The imagination is filled with silly conceits, 
with gallantry and vanity, and every thing solid, eve¬ 
ry thing serious, becomes more and more insipid, wea¬ 
risome, and, finally, odious and disgusting. We will 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


349 


trace no further these demoralising influences. One 
consideration alone shall suffice — The plot of a ro¬ 
mance invariably turns on the weaknesses, the ecsta- 
cies, the excesses of love; it abounds in amorous max¬ 
ims, protestations, and artifices ; every interest is repre¬ 
sented as secondary to love ; glory itself, is sacrificed 
to it, or rather, it is counted glory to sacrifice all to 
love. If so, frail and prone to evil as we are, can we 
dwell habitually on such ideas without danger ? are 
they not calculated to disturb the calm and tranquil¬ 
lity, even of the old, by recalling to their minds, un¬ 
der the most enticing circumstances, the follies and 
disorders of their youthful days ? and can the young 
identify themselves, as it were, with the fictitious cha¬ 
racters delineated in those works, without exciting in 
their hearts sympathies, feelings, desires, and passions, 
which it is their duty to regulate and control 

We may be told by some, that they only read roman¬ 
ces which treat of virtuous love. But can we call that 
love virtuous, which takes such possession of a man as 
to deprive him of reason? which engrosses all his 
thoughts, exhausts all his cares, and makes him, to the 
neglect of his Creator, an idolater of a creature ? which 
renders him forgetful of the holiest duties of his nature, 
of patriotism, of justice, of honor, and of charity? And 
are not these the results of this pretended virtuous love, 
as portrayed in romances ? 

Again, it is said, that this sort of reading accomplishes 
the young, and makes them acquainted with the world. 
Is it then so necessary to know the world, that we must 
renounce salvation for it? And if such be the price of 
this knowledge, were it not better to remain forever de¬ 
prived of it, and save our souls? Yes truly—these 
books will form us for the world — but for what world? 
a pagan, impious, and corrupt world, a world condemned 
by Jesus Christ, and which is the most dangerous en¬ 
emy against which we have to contend. 

Let parents, especially, consider these things. It is 
true that religion does not prohibit them from bestowing 
30 


350 


THte PRACTICt: OP 


a few worldly accomplishments on their children, after 
their earliest care has inspired them with sentiments of 
Christian piety. But, to supply them, under that 
pretext, with books which will dispose them to all 
the vanities of the world — to conduct them, in per¬ 
son, to theatrical exhibitions, which enervate the mor¬ 
als in proportion to the delicacy and sensibility of the 
youthful heart — to introduce them to assemblies where 
the world assumes its happiest and brightest, that is, 
its most seductive aspect — all this will furnish mat¬ 
ter for repentance in this life, and punishment in the 
next. For the present, perhaps, these things only amuse 
them. But let the tire kindle, and the sport will be¬ 
come too serious. Will it be time enough then, to check 
the flame.? can parental authority arrest the progress of 
evils to which itself gave the first impulse ^ Will 
groans and lamentations expiate the fault before God 
will it suffice to avow, at his tribunal, a desire to accom¬ 
plish children, and give them the knowledge of the 
w'orld, when it might and ought to have been known, 
that this dangerous and untimely knowledge would lead 
to the ruin of their morals, and the loss of their souls ^ 
But must we deny ourselves all diversions } To this 
I answer, that if all diversions are either criminal in 
their nature, or liable to be indulged to excess, or calcu¬ 
lated to lead to scandalous results, then, there are none 
but ought to be regarded with horror, and carefully 
shunned ; because, any one of these characteristics suffi¬ 
ces to endanger our salvation, and no diversion can com¬ 
pensate for the loss of our soul. Moreover, the diver¬ 
sions of the world, will soon have an end, and be fol¬ 
lowed by eternal misery ; whereas the Christian’s mo¬ 
mentary privations will be exchanged for everlasting 
happiness ; “ Your sorrow shall be turned into joy” * — 
a solid, durable, and endless joy. With such a hope, 
ought we to regret the pleasures of this life, or think 
it costs too much to sacrifice them ^ Nor are we to 


*John, xvi.20. 


CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 


351 


apprehend that this sacrifice will lessen the sum of our 
real enjoyments, even on this earth, — their object, it is 
true, will be different; but they will be heightened, in 
proportion as they are purified, and ennobled. How 
great was my happiness, exclaims St. Austin, when I 
renounced the criminal pleasures of the world ! how 
sweet it was for me to relinquish, what I had so long 
feared to lose ! To have overcome myself, was more 
delightful to me, than all my former enjoyments had 
ever been. 

There is an interior and spiritual joy, with which 
God fills the soul which truly seeks him, which seeks 
him only, which aspires to, and desires to rejoice in him 
alone — a heavenly joy, which transcends the capacity 
of the senses, and which the carnal man cannot compre¬ 
hend. If we dispose ourselves to receive it, we shall 
feel it. It is not found in the turmoil of the world — in 
assemblies and theatres ; — it is experienced only in the 
silence, the solitude, and repose of a retired and holy 
life. The more we renounce the diversions of the 
world, the more this heavenly joy will abound in our 
hearts; it will penetrate, it will inundate, it will trans¬ 
port them. Such is the promise of God, and for which 
all the saints that ever have existed are pledges. Did 
they deceive us, in what they have told us concerning 
it, or did they deceive themselves.'* — Was David de¬ 
ceived when he exclaimed, that one day in the house 
of his God, was better than a thousand passed with sin¬ 
ners, in the midst of pleasures.^ Were St. Paul and 
so many others mistaken, when, after their frequent ex¬ 
perience, they assured us that nothing can compare with 
that secret unction, those unspeakable consolations, 
which God imparts to all who fear and serve him ? 
Let us believe them — or rather, let us believe God, who 
has promised, if we are willing, to make us happy, both 
here and hereafter. 


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CONTENTS. 


Preface, 


foge. 
- iii. 


CHAP. 1. 

On the desire op perfection, and several other 

MEANS CONDUCIVE TO IT. 

Sect. i. The value we. ought to set on spiritual things, 7 
„ II. How great our desire of perfection should be, 10 
„ III. The more we apply ourselves to spiritual 
things, the more earnestly do we relish 
them, - - - - 13 

„ IV. Not to advance in virtue, is to go back, 16 
„ V, To forget the good we may have done, 
and continually think on what we are 
deficient in — to aim at what is most 
perfect, and — not to neglect little 
things, are excellent means of obtain¬ 
ing perfection, - - - 19 

„ VI. Other means of obtaining Christian Per¬ 
fection, viz. To attend to particulars — 

To put in execution our good resolu¬ 
tions — Never to commit any fault delib¬ 
erately, but keep up the fervor of devo¬ 
tion in our hearts—To imitate the most 
virtuous, and show good example to all, 2S 
„ VII. The same subject continued — To remem¬ 
ber the zeal we experienced at the be¬ 
ginning of our conversion — To bear in 
mind the motives which then animated 
30* 



354 


CONTENTS. 


page. 

us — To think on the dignity of our ori¬ 
gin, as children of God, - - 33 

Sect. viii. Perseverance in the practice of virtue, 36 
“ IX. The dispositions requisite to derive advan¬ 
tage from sermons, and other religious 
instructions, . - . 38 

CHAP. II. 

On the perfection of our ordinary actions. 

Sect. i. The importance of performing well our or¬ 
dinary actions, - - - 42 

II. In what the goodness and perfection of our 
actions consist—Means to help us to 
do them well, - - - 45 

CHAP. III. 53 

On the PURITY OF INTENTION WE OUGHT TO HAVE 
IN ALL OUR ACTIONS. 

Sect. i. We ought to shun vain-glory — Its reme¬ 
dies, - - - - 54 

“ II. The greater glory of God is the end we 
ought to propose to ourselves in all our 
actions — Marks of this purity of inten¬ 
tion — Means to acquire it — Its various 
degrees, - - ^ - 62 

CHAP. IV. 

On fraternal charity. 

Sect. i. The nature, excellence, and necessity of 

fraternal charity, - - - 72 

“ II. The characteristics of fraternal charity, - 79 
“ III. The effects and practice of charity — To 
think, and speak well of others — Not 


CONTENTS. 


355 

- age. 

to carry tales and circulate evil reports 
— To use great mildness in our expres¬ 
sions— To avoid offensive railleries, 
warm contentions, unwarrantable and 
ill-timed reprimands — Cautions to per¬ 
sons engaged in works of external cha¬ 
rity, - - - - 84 

Sect. iv. How we should behave ourselves, when 

we have either received, or given offence, 93 
V. Rash judgments, and uncharitable suspi¬ 
cions — Their causes and remedies, 97 

CHAP. V. 

On prayer. 

Sect. 1. The excellence — necessity, and—facil¬ 
ity of prayer, 106 

“ II. Mental prayer, - - - 112 

“ III. The ordinary sort of mental prayer, or 
meditation — Its necessity and advanta¬ 
ges, - - - - 114 

“ IV. Cautions and directions on the practice of 

mental prayer, or meditation - 120 

“ V. Distractions in prayer, and their remedies, 128 
“ VI. Method of mental prayer, - 133 

1. The commencement or preparation of 

mental prayer, - - ib. 

2. The body of mental prayer, - ib. 

S. The conclusion of mental prayer, 134 

Remarks, - - - 135 

« VII. Conditions of prayer, - - 136 

CHAP. VI. 

On the presence of God. 


Sect. 1. The exercise of the presence of God; its 
importance, and advantages, 


153 


556 


CONTENTS. 


page . 

Sect. ii. The practice of the exercise of God’s pre¬ 
sence, - - - - 157 

“ III. The exercise of God’s presence exempli¬ 
fied in devout aspirations and fervent 
ejaculations taken from holy scripture, 
which may also serve as subjects of 
meditation, throughout the day, - 161 

1. When we rise in the morning, ib. 

2. During mental prayer, - ib. 

3. To obtain the pardon of our sins, 162 

4. To give thanks to God for our conver¬ 

sion^ and animate ourselves to re¬ 
main faithful to him, - ib. 

5. Against the censure and obloquy of 

worldlings, 163 

6. To confide in God, in our troubles and 

afflictions, - - - 164 

7. On withdrawing our affections from 

the world,and the enjoyments of this 
life, - - - ib. 

8. Against the temptations of diffidence 

and pusillanimity, which the most 
pious sometimes experience, in the 
practice of virtue, - - 165 

9. When we have met with humiliation, 166 

10. On humility and pride, - ib. 

11. On patience and mildness, - 167 

12. On the love of God for us, and that 

which we ought to have for him, 168 

CHAP. VII. 

On reading. 170 

Sect. 1. Bad, and prohibited reading, - 171 

“ II. Indifferent, and tolerated reading, 174 

“ III. Good, and pious reading, - 176 


CONTENTS. 357 

vase, 

CHAP. VIII. 

On examination of CONSCIENGE<r 

Sect. i. The importance of the examination of Con¬ 
science, - - - - 181 

“ II. Two sorts of examination of conscience, 183 

1. Particular examination on faith, 184 

2. Particular examination on hope, 186 

3. Particular examination on confidence in 

God, ib^ 

4. Particular examination on the love of 

God, 187 

5. Particular examination on the love of 

our neighbour, 188 

6. Particular examination on our actions in 

general, 189 

7. Particular examination on our daily re¬ 

ligious duties, 190 

8. Particular examination on the mass, 191 

9. Particular examination on confessiqn., 192 

10. Particular examination on holy com¬ 
munion, 193: 

CHAP. IX, 

On conformity to the will of God. 195 

Sect. i. Two principles concerning conformity to 

the will of God, - - - 196 

“ II. The advantages we derive from a perfect 

conformity to the will of God, - 198 

“ III. The same subject continued, - 201 

iv. The conformity and confidence, which the 
consideration of God’s providence should 
produce, - - . 206 

“ y. Three degrees of conformity to the will of 

God, with regard to sufferings, - 211 

“ VI. Conformity to the will of God, as regards 

our situation in life and vocation, 215 


358 


CONTENTS. 


Pag<^- 

Sect. vii. Conformity to the will of God, in time of 

sickness, and public calamities, - 218 

“ VIII. The remembrance of our sins should 
make us bear both public calamities and 
personal misfortunes, with patience and 
resignation, 221 

“ IX. Conformity to the will of God with regard 
to supernatural gifts, and spiritual conso¬ 
lations, ... - 224 


CHAP. X. 

On spiritual retreats. 226 

Sect. i. Object and utility of spiritual retreats, 227 
II. Necessary dispositions to be benefited by 

spiritual retreats, - - 228 

CHAP. XI. 

On the characteristics op piety. 231 

Sect. i. The characteristics of piety with regard to 

God, - - - - 234 

“ II. The characteristics of piety with regard 

to ourselves, _ . . 245 

“ HI. The characteristics of piety with regard to 

our neighbour, . . - 254 

CHAP. XII. 

On mortification. 

Sect. i. Mortification and prayer should always go 

together, 260 

“ II. The necessity and nature of mortification, 262 
“ III. Our progress towards perfection, is com- 


CONTENTS. 


359 

. age. 

mensurate to our progress in the spirit 
and practice of mortification, - 266 

Sect. iv. Two sorts of mortification, 267 

“ V. True love of ourselves should produce that 
holy hatred of ourselves, recommended 
in the gospel, and practised by all the 
saints, - . . _ 269 

Vi. He who does not practise mortification, 
does not lead the life of a Christian, and 
not even that of a man, - - 271 

“ Vti. There is less pain and trouble in the prac¬ 
tice of mortification, than in the indulg¬ 
ence of our passions and evil propensi¬ 
ties, - _ . . 272 

“ VIII. The practice of mortification, - 275 

“ IX. Mortification in things lawful, and even 

necessary, - . _ 277 

“ X. Mortification in things of great importance, 

and in things of little consequence, 279 
“ XI. Remarks on the practice of mortification, 
relative to three different sorts of per¬ 
sons, > - _ . 282 

“ XII. What progress soever we may have made 
in virtue, we should not neglect the prac¬ 
tice of mortification, - - 286 

“ XIII. Means w^hich will facilitate the practice 

of mortification, - . - 287 

‘ ‘‘ XIV. Three degrees of mortification, - 291 

CHAP. XIII. 

On humilitv. 

Sect. i. The excellence, and utility of humility, 295 
“ II. The same subject continued — Enumera¬ 
tion of the principal virtues, showing 
how they are all founded on humility, 297 
“ in. The first degree of humility, - 300 


SBO CONTENTS. 

page . 


Sec. IV. The knowledge of oneself is the founda¬ 
tion of humility, - - 301 

“ V. The second degree of humility, 303 

“ vi. The third degree of humility, - 306 

“ vii. Humility is a sure means to obtain the spe¬ 
cial protection, and graces of God, 307 
vm. Humility supplies what is wanting to us 
in other respects, and averts the humilia¬ 
tion and chastisement, which come from 
God, - - - - 308 

IX. Reflections on the practice of humility, 310 
X. Solid and true greatness of Christian hu¬ 
mility, - - - - 312 


CHAP. XIV. 

On temptations. 

Sect. i. Temptations are unavoidable in this life, 323 
“ II. The advantages we may derive from temp¬ 
tations, - - - 325 

“ HI. Three incontestable principles with regard 

to the help of grace in temptations, 326 
‘‘ IV. DitFerence between experiencing, and con¬ 
senting to temptations, - - 328 

V. Conduct we are to observe with regard to 

temptations, - _ . 329 

CHAP. XV. 

On the spirit of christianitv. 

Sect. i. The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of se¬ 
paration from the world, - ^32 

II. The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of 

consecration to God, - - 338 

CHAP. XVI. 

On the pleasures and diversions of the world, 343 


SUBSCRIBERS’ NAMES. 


The Most Rev. James Whitfield, D. D. Archbishop of Balti¬ 
more. 

The Right Rev. John England,D.D. Bishop of Charleston 
The Right Rev. John B. M. David, D.D. Bishop of Mauri- 
castro 

The Right Rev. Joseph Rosati, D. D. Bishop of St. Louis 
The Right Rev. John Dubois, D. D. Bishop of New York 
The Right Rev. Francis P. Kenrick, D. D. Bishop of Arath, 

&.C. 

The Right Rev. Michael Portier, D. D. Bishop of St. Louis 
The Right Rev. Frederick Reze, D. D. Bishop of Detroit 
The Right Rev. John R. Purcell, D. D. Bishop of Cincinnati 
The Right Rev. Samuel Eccleston, Bishop of Thermae 
The Rfght Rev. Simon G. Brute, D. D. Bishop of Vincennes 
The Right Rev. Benedict Fenwick, D. D. Bishop of Boston 
The very Rev. L. Deluol, D. D., V. G. and Superior of the 
Seminary, Baltimore 
The Very Rev. J. Tessier, D. D. V. G. 

Rev. E. Damphoux 

Rev. John Plughes 

Rev. N. Kerney 

Rev. P. S. Shreiber 

Rev. C. J. White 

Rev. H. Joubert 

Rev. A. J. Elder 

Rev. J. H. Hoskyns 

Rev. Edward Knight 

Rev. John B. Gildea 

Rev. Dr. John Power 

Rev. John William Beschter, S. J. 

Rev. Mathew Lekeu, S. J. 

Rev. John Timon, President of St. Mary’s Seminary, Mo- 
Rev. John M. Odin 
Rev. Regis Loisel 
Rev. J. Wiseman 
Rev. Michael Dougherty 
Rev. A. Wainwright 
31 




362 


Ahearn, Thomas 
Akin, Mrs. 
Aspinal, James 
Alvey, John B. 
Arthur, Aloysius 


Byrne, Patrick 
Butler, James 
Boone, John L. 
Barrett, Maurice 
Boone, Mrs. A. 
Brenton, Richard 
Brady, Philip 
Byrns, William 
Britt, Walter 
Byrne, Peter 
Butler, Tobias 
Boyle, Francis 
Barreckman, Jacob 
Bogue, Henry 
Brady, Patrick 
Byrne, James 
Byrne, Peter 
Boyle, Michael 
Brady, James 
Brasier, A. G. 
Burke, Mary A. E. 
Brennan, Nicholas 
Byrne, Matthew 
Bogue, John 
Buckley, Timothy 
Bannan, John 


Caton, Richard 


Subscribers^ JS'ameSt 


A 

Amprieste, John A 
Adams, John 
Adams, Jacob 
Apold, S. W. 

Ayres, Mary 

E 

Byrne, Pierce 
Bushe, Maurice 
Barry, Robert 
Brady, Michael 
Butler, Nicholas 
Brady, Edward 
Bunting, William 
Barnes, John 
Bishop, Barthol. 
Bishop, Patrick 
Boatman, William 
Baldwin, Henry W. 
Bell, Henry W. 
Boarrnan, Ignatius 
Boarman, Ignat, jr. 
Baylv, William 
Bell, Caleb 
Brewer, William 
Brennan, Peter 
Barret Thomas 
Boyce, A. 

Brady, Thomas 
Browne, Geo. D. 
Buckingham, H. B. 
Burke, Patrick 


Ahern, William 
Arieu, Elias C. 
Agnew, Thomas 
Ashley, Mary 
Anderson, James 


Bourie, Mrs. 
Bethlehem Convent 
Brewer, John 
Brewer, James 
Brewer, Mark 
Brew'er, Matthew' 
Brown Peter 
Brook, John J. 
Breigned, Caleb 
Brown, James 
Burn, John 
Boyce, Robert 
Butler, Edmund 
Bradley, John 
Brittingham, Cath. 
Bockley, John 
Barker, William 
Bean, Catherine 
Brady, James 
Byrne, Kavin 
Byrne, P. M. Dr. 
Byrne, Matthew 
Brady, Hugh 
Billings, Alanson 
Boone, Mrs. A. 


c 

Charles, Devereaux Chambers, David 


Subscribers’ J’^aines. 


363 


Connell, James Caffry, Thomas 
Culverwell, RichardCosgrove, Daniel 
Clare, Thomas Crengle, John 
Connolly, Thomas Clark, Lloyd 
Cullen, Mary Cassady, Andrew 

Creighton, Henry Chatard, Dr. 


Clarke, Michael 
Cunning, Edward 
Cole, H. 

Colvin, Horatio 
Clagett, William D Collins, John D. 
Creney, Thomas. Cadon, Wm. jr 


Conaway, Wm. H. 
Conly,Patt 
Chaney, Stephen 
Conner, T. O. 
Conklin, Richard 
Coale, Michael 
Cnnningham, Thos.Conway, Robert T. 
Coulter, Alex. Cisell, Joseph 

Coyle, James Compton, James 

Clement, William Cisell, Clement 


Cassard, Gilbert Collender, Horatio 
Connery, John Coskery, Felix S. 

Cremen, James Childs, John T. 

Connelly, Patrick Chaise, Hazen 

Courtney, P. Campbell, James 

Canuet, Madame Cosgrove, Daniel 

Chaisty, Edward Crough, Denis 

Carr, Roland Camp, John 

Clautice, Peter Corbett, M. 

Crengle, Thomas Colgan, James 

Cannon, Catherine Connell, Patrick 

Collins, James Carrere, Mrs. Mary Clark, Patrick 

Conway, Robert Clarke, Pearson Crosby, John 
Cochrane, William Crodan, John 


Cisell, Louis 
Cotter, John 
Carrun, Thomas 
Chambers, James 
Cator, William 
Carron, Thomas 
Cullen, Mary 
Cudihy, Andrew 
Cisell, Mary Ann 
Cook, Andrew 
Crowgh, Michael 
Campbell, William 
Connolly, John F. 


Curran, Moses 
Collins, John 
Cosgrove, John 
Cook, Andrew 
Clarke, Charles 
Carroll, John 


Clarke, Patrick 
Curley, Edward 
Cook, John 
Collins, Patrick 
Coughan, William 


Coogan, Michael 
Clautice, George 
Campbell, John 
Clark, R. R. H. 
Clarke, John A. 
Carrigan, James 


D 


Dowling, Mary Dougherty, W. B. Deacon, James 
Pe Loughry, John Dougherty, Michael Dorsey, R. S. 
Deeran, James Dougherty, Daniel Duvall, John 
Dilloway, John H. Dougherty, Robert Duvall, Louis 
Dougherty, Thornas Downey, John Dunn, James 


364 


Subscribers'* JSTames. 


Didier, Dr. 

Dunn, Michael 
Drennen, James 
Decker, Francis 
Downey, Thomas 
Dorsey, Thomas A. 
De Caindry, Aug. 
Daly, James 
Duffy, James 
Duvall, Claudius 
Dougherty, Neal 
Douglass, James B. 
Dallton, James 
Dorsey, Ezekiel 
Dowling, William 
Devilbess, John 
Denver, Edward 
Donnolly, Michael 


Doyle, John 
Dillaway, Thomas 
Dunn, Patrick 
Dowling, John 
Dukes, John 
Delenty, William 
Dowie, Alexander 
Dougherty, D. D. 
Davis, Elizabeth M 
Delore, Jacob 
Dougherty, Jas. P. 
Dougherty, M. A. 
Donnelly, Mary A. 
Dolan, Paul 
Dorney, John P. 
Duluhanty, Patrick 
Dalton, Michael 
Derrane, Patrick J. 


Dieesh, Joseph 
Davis, Thomas 
Drenan, John 
Doyle, John 
Duffy, Martin 
Dowling, John 
Dillon, John 
D’Verier, Mrs. 
Drohan, Thomas 
Duffy, Thomas 
Duffy, Hugh 
Daly, Thomas 
Dealey, Stephen J. 
Dolan, John 
Dunn, Stephen 
Durkee, Doctor 
Demsey, Michael 
Donnell, John 


E 


Eberhart, Conrad 
Ellis, John 
Evalt, John 
Elder, Mrs. E. M. 
Ennis, Mrs. 


Edmunds, Richard Echenrode, Henry 
Eckenroad, John, jr.Elder, John 
Evans, Robert Effort, Peter 

Erwin, Charles Easton, Samuel 

Espie, George 


F 

Flinn, James Furey, Edward 

Fisher, John Fitzpatrick, Patk. 

Fitzpatrick, Daniel Friar, Andrew 
Fleishal, Anthony Fallon, Nicholas 
Fielding, Daniel Farmer, Philip 
Fitzpatrick, MichaelFallon, Thomas 
Fitzgerald, H. Ford, Washington 
Fitzpatrick, ThomasFitzpatrick, Denis 
Fleishal, Joseph Fleshman, John 
Fitzpatrick, Andw. Foller, Anthony 


Faherty, Peter 
Foyle, Edward 
Feltz, Ignatius 
Forrestal, E B. 
Faraher, Julia 
Farrell, Patrick 
Frisby, Patrick 
Fitzpatrick, John 
Fortune, James 
Friar, P. R. 


Subscribers' JS'ames. 


365 


J’ields, James 
Fitzpatrick, John 
Farrell, James 
Fitzpatrick, Edw. 


Forrest, James T. 
Friar, John 
Fitzpatrick, Thos. 
Fox, John 


Fennelly, Martin 
Friel, Patrick 
Finn, Patrick 
Friar, Andrew 


G 


Giordano, Carlo 
Green, John T. 
Griffin, Samuel 
Gorman, Thomas 
Gallaugher, Patrick 
Gallaugher, Patrick 
Gilligan, James 
Granger, John 
Gillespy, John 
Galligher, Joseph A. 
Galligher, Michael 
Gildea, Felix 


Gorman, Matthew Glassett, Michael 
Gamble, William Garrett, Edward 
Gordon, Alexander Galugher, Patrick 

Gaffney,- Graham, James 

Gosnell, John Gaven, Thomas 
Gerety, James Gold, Martin 
Galiker, William Grape, Andrew 
Greenfield, Thomas Goddard, Thomas 
Gootee,Washington Glackin, Charles 
Gregory, Owen Green, Bernard 
Griffith, Thomas Gray, John V. 
Griffith, Joseph Gootee, Goodman 


Holmes, William 
Hart, L. 

Hall, C. T. 
Haghry, Neal 
Hickey, Patrick 
Hughes, Patrick 
Harnes, Martin 
Hall, Henry S. 
Hall, James 
Hall. Henry A. 
Heisler, George A. 
Hughes, Felix 
Harden, John J. 
Henry, Arthur 
Holden, Michael 
Huyghe, M. V. S. 
Hanagan, William 
31* 


H 

Hailey, Griffith W. 
Halpin, Patrick, 
Halpiri, Thos. 
Hurry, John 
Hemler, Joseph 
Hemler, Henry 
Hemler, Christian 
Hemler, Joseph G. 
Hemler, Henry, jr. 
Hardt, Jacob 
Hare, Jacob 
Hemler, jMary Ann 
Hickey, Martin 
Hayes, James 
Howard, John 
Higgins, Maurice 
Harlen, Matthew 


Hagan, James A. 
Holland, James 
Hevvit, Albert J. 
Hoover, John 
Hoover, Jacob 
Hair, Samuel 
Hickey, P. G. 
Haydon, Thomas 
Hocter, James 
Hughes, Francis 
Heinrich, M. 
Hansche, John S. 
Henry, Jacob 
Hansberry, Ruben 
Howard, Joshua 
Hardy, Wm. 
Hutchins, Chas. 



366 

Hand, Alexander 
Hook, Henry 
Hultz, Christian 
Hassett, Patrick 
Hance, Wm. A. 
Holmes, Wm. 
Hadley, Wesley 
Hartnet, James 
Hall, Henry 
Harslet, Joseph 
Henry, H. 
Holton, James 


Inemer, P. N. 
Johnson, Geo. C. 
Jackson, Emily 
Johnson, James 
Jarboe, Francis M. 
Joy, Edward 
Jones, Wm. 

James, John 


Kenny, Peter 
Kenny, Patrick 
Kelly, Catherine 
Klunk, John B, 
Kealy, Patrick 
Kennedy, Corn. 
Kelly, John 
Kennedy, Brien 
Kennedy, Joseph 

Kirk,- 

Karne, Francis 
Kennedy, John 
Kelly, Simon 


Subscribers^ J^ames. 


Henry, Arthur 
Hughes, John 
Hughes, James 
Hawk, T. E. 
Henderson, Robert 

Houghton,- 

Hahn, Edward 
Hase, C. F. 

Hagan, Michael 
Hagan, Isadore 
Hagan, Geo. W. 
Hutchins, John B. 

I J 

Jones. Chas. 
Johnson, Edw. C. 
Jones, J. H. 

James, John M. 
James, Joseph A. 
Jackson, Wra. 
Jones, Elisha 
James, Samuel 

K 

Kintz, George 
Kelly, Michael 
Kane, John 
Kane, Henry 
Kennedy, John 
Kelly, Simon 
Kennedy, John 
Kuhn, John, Sen. 
Kuker, Joseph 
Knowlton, Joseph 
Kentz, George 
Keating, John 
Kelly, T. A. 


Hansberry, RubeH 
Harper, Miss 
Hughes, John 
Hiffernen, Patrick 
Hilton, Wm. L. 
Hitselberger, John 
Hopkins, James 
Henry, John 
Hill, Charles 
Hill, Ann S. 

Hall, Mrs. Mary 


Jenkins, Wm. 
Jenkins, Mrs. C. 
Jenkins, P. A. 
Jenkins, Felix 
Jenkins, Mrs. E. 
Jenkins, Thomas 
Jarboe, Joseph 
James, Francis X. 


Keyte, Wm. A. 
Kelly, Neal 
Kelly, Deny 
Kernan, Leonard 
Kelly, Patrick 
Keating, John 
Keenan, James 
Kerns, Charles 
Keller, Conrad 
Kelly, Owen 
Kelly, Simon S. 
Kelly, Owen 
Kernan, Charles 



Subscribers^ JVames. 


Kelly, Michael 
Krager, Wm. 
Kelly, James 
Kernan, Chas. 


Letellier, Thomas 
Logue, Dennis 
Laverly, Edward 
Lynch, Richard 
Lecompte, Edw. 
Lee, Charles C. 
Leary, A. 
Loughren, Peter 
Lucas, Fielding, jr. 
Lynch, John 
Lineger, T, 

Linch, James 
Long, Joseph L. 


Moorheiser, Philip 
McCloskey, John 
McManus, Charles 
Mathews, Francis 
Murray, Thomas 
Maffer, Thomas 
Miller, Henry G. 
Manning, Edward 
Manning, Wm. 
McGuirk, Mary F. 
McCourte, John 
Miskeely, Hugh 
Munroe, Henry 
Mullen, James 
Mogarity, James 
Morgan, Michael 


Kelly, Michael 
Keenan, Anthony 
Kelly, Henry 
K ennedy, Martin 

L 

Lorence, Jacob 
Little, Andrew 
Little, Peter 
Lorence, George 
Larance George 
Larkin, Michael 
Leeson, Thomas C. 
Lilly, Richard 
Lain, John 
Lilly, Robert G. 
Layton, Ignatius, jr. 
Layton, Louis, jr. 
Layton, Wilfred 


M 


Mullen, Peter 
Murphy, Philip 
Myers, Mrs. 
McCarthy, Patrick 
McGee, Patrick 
McDermot, James 
Morris, John 
Malone, James 
Molloy, John 
Murray, Wm. 
McCormick, Sami. 
Murphy, James 
Mitchell, John 
McSweeny, F. P. 

McGuirk,- 

Murphy, Daniel 


mi 

Kenny, Patrick 
Kennedy, Felix 
Kelly, John 
Kilduff, Patrick M. 


Layton, John B. jr*. 
Layton, John 
Layton, Ignatius 
Lenihan, Dennis 
Lecompt, James 
Lewis, John 
Laurenson, Philip 
Layburn, Wm. 
Lane, Henry 
Lathroum, Matthew 
Lawn, Henry 
Lynch, Edward 


McF.lhevy, Francis 
Mitchell, Zebulon 
Mallcn, James 
Malcom, John 
McAleavy, Edward 
McGinnis, Evan 
McFaul, Eneas 
Merryman, Richard 
McDowell, Michael 
Martin, Jacob 
Martin, John 
McSherry, James 
Martin, Peter 
Marshall Adam 
Martin, Andrew 
Murray, Thomas 


Subscribers'^ JVames. 




McDevitt, John Mathews, John Murray, Matthe^v 

Marshall, Henry McCaffry, Philix McC<>nn, John 

McGennity, Owen Murray, Andrew Morgan, Edward 
McCrodan, James McElroy, John McDonnell, John 
Madden, Patrick McIntyre, Thomas McEleavy, James 

McDonnell, Arthur McCormick, PatrickMcEleavy, Edw. 
McManus, John McGinn, John McGennis, Evan 

Manning, Thomas McGarrity, Barney Milholland, Arthur 
McGrann, Edward Murray, Matthew Merry, John 
McGrann, Patrick Murphy, Hugh 

McColgan, Bernard Magee, Bernard 
Moore, Alexander Mullen, James 

Moore, Henry Mulhare, Charles 

Maguire, John McConn,- 

Martin, Bartley Mullen, A. H. 

Murray, Thomas McEnnis, M. 


Morrison, Chas. H. McDowell, H. 
McDonald, James McGuire, Patrick 
McCoy, James Morrin, John 

Morris, James McLineger,- 

Mills, John L. McGuire, Patrick 
McWilliams, James Morrin, John 
McDonnell, RichardMcDermot, John 


McTavish, Emily 
Morgan, John 
Morrow, Mary J. 
Martin, John 
McDonald, Alex. 
McClury, John 
Maguire, Henry 


Malone, Abner 
Martin, Patrick 
McFall, M. 
McDonnell, Patk. 


McGarry, Patrick 
McCloskey, Michael 
McCloskey, Henry 
Maguire, John A. 
McGahan, John 
McClean, James 
McCann, John 
Magrath, John, 
Murphy, Thomas 
McKenna, Daniel 
McDonough, James 
Masterson, Charles 
Martin, Abraham 
McDermot, Eugene 
Mackin, Barnard 
Mill way, Mrs. 
McGuirk, John 
McGinity, Felix 
Maguire, J. L. 
McHenry, Mary 
McMahon, Francis 
Muncksj Andrew 


Miles, Henry 
Moore, James C. 

Moore, Martin L. 

McAuly, Wm. 

Miles, Nicholas 
Moore, Martin J. 

McAtee, Patrick 

McCormick, Patk. Moore, Samuel L. 

Murray, Michael McColgan, Patrick McManus, Dr. 

McEnery, Donat Meridith, Thomas 
McClenahan, Patk. McDonnell, Patrick 
Manning, Cornelius McCauly, Wm. 
McGerry, Wm. McMan, Peter 

McCarrick, James McAnthay, Daniel May,- 

McKee, James McLarney, Patk. Menzies, E. V. 

Murray, Mary Jane McNulty, Mrs. McCue, John 

Mullen, Peter Mulliken, Samuel McGuirk, Patrick 
McAuley, James McFaddon, Patk McDermot, Patk. 




Subscribers^ JYames. 




McKewen, Archd, McKenna, William Morphy, L. E. 
Mullen, Francis McCall, Owen McDevitt, James 
McKenny, Edw. Murray, Martin McGee, Patrick 
McGahey, John Moore, Geo. F. Murray, Charles W\ 
McAtee, Henry,jr. McGrath,Dominick Mellon, John 
BIcClain, Wm. Moore, Wm. 


N 

Norris, Henry D. Nant, John Noel, Michael 

Nicholson, Andrew Noel, Jacob Nelson, Robert 

Neale, James 

o 


O’Brien, Matthew 
O’Hara, Ann 
O’Connor, Daniel 
O’KeefFe, Daniel 
O’Neill, Eugene 
O’Neill, James 
Ovvings, John 
O’Brien, John 
O’Neal, Joseph 
Ott, Benjamin 
Onion, Lloyd 
O’Brien, Mrs. 


O’Keeffe, Moses 
O’Leary, John 
Obold, Ignatius 
Owing?, E. J. 
O’Neal, John F. X. 
O’Neal, Thomas 
Owens, Hugh 
O’Neal, Peter 
O’Neill, John 
O’Neill, Daniel 
0’Fjaherty,Thomas 
O’Neal, Thomas 


Owen, Wm. 
O’Brien, James 
Oldham, Henry 
O’Brien, Michael 
O’Connell, Mary 
O’Neill, James 
O’Donnell, John 
Owings, Joseph 
O’Callaghan, Corn„ 
O’Connor, Stephen 
O’Toole, Hugh 


Powers, Richard 
Pierce, R. 
Ploughman, Eli 
Picket, Garret 
Paca, John 
Pies, Francis 
Parish, Jacob 
Purcell, Edward 
Powers, Thomas 


P 

Paca, James W. 
Powers, Marlin 
Pritchett, Thomas 
Phillips, Edward 
Pendegrass, Wm. 
Pope, George 
Phillips, Thomas J. 
Philips, James R. 
Payne, Wm. 


Pratte, Peter 
Parres, Anthony 
Power, Clement 
Piquett, Edmund 
Purcell, James 
Poe, James M. 
Pottinger, James B. 
Posey, James H. 
Pendergast Chas. 


87^ 


Quinn, Patrick 
Qiiigly, Martin 


Rock, Henrv 
Reilly, PatLW. 
Rosan, Cyrellus J. 
Rolle, Wm. F. 
Roose, Wm. 
Roberts, Isaac G. 
Reilly, Philip 
Ryan, James 
Rames, Joseph ' 
Ryan, Richard 
Roberts, James 
IVichafds, Patricia 


Stirling,Geo. P. 
Soper, Milburn 
Siillinger, M. 
Sullen, James 
Smith, C. H. 
Shanahan, Wm. 
Scott, John 
Stizaker, Chris- 
Speddy, John 
Slieridan, Thomas 
Spicer, John 
Stone, John 
Smith, Mary 
Stafford, John 
Shiels, John 
Seagars, Eugene 
Skilling, James 


Subscribers^ vVi 

Q 

Quinn, Nicholas 


R 

Rewell, Martin 
Roche, Wm. 

Read, Wm. G. 
Readall, J. W. 
Reader, Amos 
Rosensteel, Jos. W. 
Roloff, Ann Maria 
Reily, Henry 
Rush, Martin 
Regan, Patrick 
Reilly, Patrick 


S • 

Smith, Charles C. 
Smith, Anthony 
Sweerengen Jno. B 
Shorle, Dr. J. A. 
Sneerenger, Pious 
Smith, Joseph J. 
Sneeringer, Joseph 
Smith, Adam 
Smith, Charles 
Sourbaugh, Henry 
Smith, Joseph 
Sneemogc, Samuel 
Sailer, Joseph 
Stockdale, Benj. C. 
Smith, James 
Shesgreen, Chas. 
Sarsfield, Steph. D- 


Quinn, Matthew 


Roche, Jas. 
Reddick, James 
Rice, James 
Rhodes, Henry J. 
Reintzel, John D. 
Rider, Michael 
Russell, Mrs. 
Richardson, B. 
Roberts, Oliver 
Reilly, Michael 
Rahue, D. J^ 


Simpson, John F. 
Simpson, Joseph D, 
Solomon, J. A. 
Shee, James 
Snoot, James 
Stone, Susanna 
Shepher'J*, Samuel 
Stephens, Wm. 
Sweetman, Bart. 
Street, David 
Sheehan, Patrick 
Shaw, James 
Soran, Ann 
Santmyer, John M. 
Summers, James H. 
Stone, Joseph 
Simmons, Joseph 


Subscribers'' JVames. 


371 


Sherdon, Henry 
Sweeny, John 
Shipley, Wm. 
Scott, Perkin 
Slack, John S. 
Smith, Samuel 
Smith, Andrew 


Taylor, Levi 
Talbot, Jesse 
Tracy, Hugh 
Thompson, Thos. 
Taylor, John C. 
Treexler, John 
Thompson, John 
Tobin, Martin 
Tobin, James 
Thomson, H. E. 

,Thomas, James 
Tinn, John 
Tolley, Wm. 


Victory, Juliana 


Woods, Michael 
Wickersham, Wm. 
Whealan, Luke 
Walsh, John 
Winchester, Thos. 
Whealan, Michael 
Wrinn, Patrick 
Weber, P. 


Stripple, Mrs. T. P. 
Shultz, John 
Sowerbeer, Jacob 
Sweeny, George 
Smith, Thomas 
Squires, George W. 
Simpson, Ignat.W. 

T 

Tyler, James 
Tole, Hugh 
Tomey, James 
Todd, Alexander 
Travers, Devereux 
Tucker, Nicholas 
.Taylor, Thomas 
Tucker, Charles 
Tucker, Peter J. 
Tucker, Josiah 
Tuckerj John D. 
Tucker, James, Sen 
Tucker, Peter, Sen. 


Stone, Louis 
Simpson, Hugh 
Scott, Richard 
Shoemaker, Maurice 
Sturgeon, Whitney 
Smith, Catherine 
Stevens, Henry 


Taylor, Wm. 
Tucker, Nichs. D. 
Tucker, Wm., Sen. 
Taylor, Wm. 
Tarlton, Elizabeth 
Toomay, Thomas 
Teynan, Patrick 
Tiernan, Luke 
Taney, R. B. 
Tolan, John 
Traynor, James 
•Thompson, John 
Taylor, George 


V 

Vessels, Thomas 

w 

White, Abraham 
Wilson, James 
Wallace, John 
Wilson, Elliott 
Walsh, Philip 
White, John 
Walsh, James 
Wareham, Wm. 


Vernon, Wm. 


Wiley, James 
Wallace, Wm. 
Warfield, Stephen F. 
Warfield, Anselm 
Watkin, Ignatius 
Ward, Joseph 
Walsh, Michael 
Wood, Alexis 


372 

Wilde, J. W. F. 
Walsh, Mrs. Thos. 
Williamson, James 
Wallace, Joseph 
Walsh, John 
Walsh, Nicholas 
Windgate, Thos C. 
White, James 
Watts, Vespasian 
Walsh, Lawrence 


Young, Andrew 


Subscribers^ JS'ames. 


Will, Jacob 
Will, Joseph E. 
Weaver, Sebastian 
Wallace, Anthony 
Wilkinson, James 
Winder, Boyd 
Weaver, Peter 
Watson, H. R. 
West, George G. 
Whelan, John P. 

Y z 

Young, Notley 


Walsh, Martin 
Waller, Jacob 
Walsh, John 
Welsh, John 
Walsh, Andrew 
Wren, Christopher 
Watts, Joseph J. 
Wells, Jarvier 
Williams, Bennet 


Zigler, Francis J. 


Total—12 Bishops, 21 Priests, and 1047 lay Subscriber! 







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